IAC/Interactivecorp vs Ulta Beauty Inc — how do they compare? IAC/Interactivecorp trades at $43.41 (market cap $3.28B), while Ulta Beauty Inc trades at $480 (market cap $21.04B). The key difference: Ulta Beauty Inc is far larger — about 6.4× IAC/Interactivecorp's market cap, and IAC/Interactivecorp is trading nearer its 52-week high, Ulta Beauty Inc nearer its low. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| PPLI | ULTA | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $3.28B | $21.04B |
Sector | Media | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $47.62 | $706.82 |
52-Week Low | $31.52 | $450.75 |
Enterprise Value | $3.58B | $23.12B |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
PPLI trades at $44.09, down 0.99% on the day, with a bullish technical signal supported by moving averages and oversold RSI levels. The company shows mixed fundamentals with declining revenue from $5.2B in 2022 to $2.4B in 2025 and negative EPS misses in recent quarters, though net income margin improved to -4.35% from -14.19% in 2024. Recent news highlights potential MGM acquisition talks and upcoming Q2 2026 earnings call on August 4th.
The stock presents a value opportunity with P/B of 0.73 and strong analyst support (63.6% buy rating, $55.40 consensus target), but faces execution risks from consecutive earnings misses and negative cash flow trends. Key catalysts include MGM deal progress and Q2 results, while competitive pressures and volatile profitability remain concerns.
ULTA Beauty trades at $489.47, up 2.06% with a bullish technical signal despite mixed moving averages. The company maintains strong profitability with 39.33% gross margins and 47.45% ROE, though net margins have declined from 12.17% in 2023 to 10.63% in 2025. Recent Q1 2026 earnings beat expectations at $7.74 EPS versus $6.89 expected, while Q4 2025 missed. Analyst consensus remains strongly positive with 26 buy ratings and a $618.29 price target, representing 26% upside potential.
ULTA presents a compelling growth story with international expansion and digital engagement driving long-term potential. However, investors face risks from margin compression, competitive pressures in beauty retail, and volatile cash flow patterns. The stock's current valuation at 18.29x P/E appears reasonable given growth prospects, but requires monitoring of consumer spending trends and execution on strategic initiatives.
Trailing returns across standard periods
IAC Inc is an Internet media company with segments that include Angi (47% of total revenue), Dotdash (10%), search (24%), and emerging and other (19%). The firm spun off the narrow-moat dating app provider Match Group in second-quarter 2020 and the no-moat video software provider Vimeo in second-quarter 2021.
Read more on PPLI →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 →