Smith & Nephew plc vs Ulta Beauty Inc — how do they compare? Smith & Nephew plc trades at $27.31 (market cap $11.10B), while Ulta Beauty Inc trades at $562.45 (market cap $24.12B). The key difference: Ulta Beauty Inc is far larger — about 2.2× Smith & Nephew plc's market cap, and Smith & Nephew plc pays a 2.95% dividend while Ulta Beauty Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals — on Pluang, investors hold Smith & Nephew plc for 120 Days and Ulta Beauty Inc for 92 Days on average.
| SNN | ULTA | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $11.10B | $24.12B |
Volume | 1,051,703 | 457,598 |
Sector | Health | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $37.17 | $706.82 |
52-Week Low | $26.42 | $450.75 |
Typical Hold Time | 120 Days | 92 Days |
Enterprise Value | $14.13B | $26.43B |
Dividend Yield | 2.95% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
SNN trades at $26.89, near its 52-week low, with a bearish technical signal. Revenue and net income have grown steadily, reaching $6.16B and $625M in 2025, respectively, with improving margins. Recent product launches, like the EVOS PELVIC System, aim to strengthen its medical technology portfolio. However, cash flow volatility and mixed analyst sentiment pose challenges.
The stock presents a value opportunity with reasonable valuation ratios (P/E 18.34, P/S 1.85), but risks include competitive pressures and recent CFO departure. Analyst consensus is cautious, with 65% hold ratings. Upside depends on execution of growth initiatives amid market headwinds.
ULTA Beauty trades at $545.48, down 0.33% on the day, with a bullish technical outlook supported by moving averages. The company reported strong Q2 2026 earnings beat and raised 2026 guidance, though Q4 2025 missed expectations. Valuation metrics show a P/E of 20.55 and P/S of 1.92, with robust profitability including 46.12% ROE. Analyst consensus is strongly bullish with 59.57% buy ratings and a $624.93 price target, representing 14.6% upside potential.
ULTA presents a compelling growth story with e-commerce momentum and expansion into wellness categories, though margin compression and flat traffic pose near-term challenges. The stock offers attractive upside to analyst targets but faces execution risks amid consumer spending pressures. Institutional ownership remains strong with recent buying activity from major funds.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Smith & Nephew designs, manufactures, and markets orthopedic devices, sports medicine and arthroscopic technologies, and wound-care solutions. Roughly 42% of the U.K.-based firm's revenue comes from orthopedic products, and another 30% is sports medicine and ENT. The remaining 28% of revenue is from the advanced wound therapy segment. Roughly half of Smith & Nephew's total revenue comes from the United States, just over 30% is from other developed markets, and emerging markets account for the remainder.
Read more on SNN →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 →