Compare PayPal Holdings, Inc. (PYPL) vs Ulta Beauty Inc (ULTA) Price & Performance
Price performance (Past 24H)
Key statistics
Key statistics
PayPal Holdings, Inc. vs Ulta Beauty Inc — how do they compare? PayPal Holdings, Inc. trades at $55.49 (market cap $49.27B), while Ulta Beauty Inc trades at $475 (market cap $21.04B). The key difference: PayPal Holdings, Inc. is far larger — about 2.3× Ulta Beauty Inc's market cap, and PayPal Holdings, Inc. pays a 1% dividend while Ulta Beauty Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| PYPL | ULTA | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $49.27B | $21.04B |
Sector | Financials | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $78.22 | $706.82 |
52-Week Low | $39.08 | $450.75 |
Enterprise Value | $49.33B | $23.12B |
Dividend Yield | 1% | — |
Aura AI Summary
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Aura AI Summary
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
PayPal (PYPL) trades at $55.85, down 1.26% today, amid takeover speculation from Stripe and Advent International. The stock shows strong fundamentals with a P/E of 10.66 and net income margin of 15%, while technical indicators are mixed with a bullish moving average signal but overbought RSI levels. Recent earnings beat expectations in Q1 2026, and the company maintains robust cash flow from operations of $6.42 billion in 2025.
The outlook is clouded by the potential buyout, which could limit upside if the offer is rejected, while profitability pressures and competition from Apple Pay pose risks. Analyst consensus is cautious with a hold-heavy rating, suggesting investors await clarity on strategic direction amid the takeover bid.
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.
Returns comparison
Trailing returns across standard periods
Returns comparison
Trailing returns across standard periods
Top news
Latest headlines on both assets
Top news
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About PayPal Holdings, Inc.
PayPal Holdings, Inc. operates as a technology platform company that enables digital and mobile payments on behalf of consumers and merchants. The Company offers online payment solutions. PayPal Holdings serves customers worldwide.
Read more on PYPL →About Ulta Beauty Inc
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 →
