PepsiCo, Inc. vs Ulta Beauty Inc — how do they compare? PepsiCo, Inc. trades at $137.3 (market cap $188.97B), while Ulta Beauty Inc trades at $542.26 (market cap $24.12B). The key difference: PepsiCo, Inc. is far larger — about 7.8× Ulta Beauty Inc's market cap, and PepsiCo, Inc. pays a 4.28% dividend while Ulta Beauty Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| PEP | ULTA | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $188.97B | $24.12B |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $170.44 | $706.82 |
52-Week Low | $134.95 | $450.75 |
Enterprise Value | $231.47B | $26.43B |
Dividend Yield | 4.28% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
PepsiCo (PEP) trades at $138.45, up 0.6% with bearish technical signals but strong fundamentals. The company reported consistent earnings beats in recent quarters with Q3 2026 results pending. Revenue grew to $93.93B in 2025, though net income declined to $8.24B. Analysts maintain a consensus price target of $158.79 with 33% buy ratings. Recent news highlights price adjustments on snack products and sponsorship changes.
PEP offers stable dividend income and moderate growth potential, but faces margin pressure from input costs and competitive pricing. The stock trades below analyst targets with solid cash flow generation, though technical indicators suggest near-term weakness. Key risks include consumer sensitivity to price increases and execution challenges in North American markets.
ULTA Beauty trades at $549.23, down 2.64% today, amid mixed signals. The stock shows a bullish technical trend with strong moving averages, while fundamentals reveal steady revenue growth to $11.30B in 2025, though net income margin has softened to 9.34%. Recent Q2 2026 earnings beat expectations, and the company raised full-year guidance, yet some segments like cosmetics showed flat performance.
The outlook is cautiously optimistic, with a consensus price target of $653.14 implying significant upside. Key opportunities include digital growth and AI integration potential, but risks involve competitive pressures and reliance on discretionary consumer spending. Analyst sentiment remains predominantly bullish, supporting a favorable risk-reward profile for long-term investors.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
PepsiCo is one of the largest food and beverage companies globally. It makes, markets, and sells a slew of brands across the beverage and snack categories, including Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Gatorade, Doritos, Lays, and Ruffles. The firm uses a largely integrated go-to-market model, though it does leverage third-party bottlers, contract manufacturers, and distributors in certain markets. In addition to company-owned trademarks, Pepsi manufactures and distributes other brands through partnerships and joint ventures with companies such as Starbucks. The firm segments its operations into five primary geographies, with North America (comprising Frito-Lay North America, Quaker Foods North America, and North America beverages) constituting around 60% of consolidated revenue.
Read more on PEP →With more than 1,300 stores and a partnership with Target, Ulta Beauty is the largest specialized beauty retailer in the U.S. The firm offers makeup (43% of 2021 sales), fragrances, skin care, and hair care products (20% of 2021 sales), and bath and body items. Ulta offers private-label products and merchandise from more than 500 vendors. It also offers salon services, including hair, makeup, skin, and brow services, in all stores. Most Ulta stores are approximately 10,000 square feet and are in suburban strip centers. Ulta was founded in 1990 and is based in Bolingbrook, Illinois.
Read more on ULTA →