SoundHound AI Inc vs Ulta Beauty Inc — how do they compare? SoundHound AI Inc trades at $7.37 (market cap $3.29B), while Ulta Beauty Inc trades at $533.96 (market cap $23.27B). The key difference: Ulta Beauty Inc is far larger — about 7.1× SoundHound AI Inc's market cap, and Ulta Beauty Inc is trading nearer its 52-week high, SoundHound AI Inc nearer its low. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| SOUN | ULTA | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $3.29B | $23.27B |
Sector | Technology | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $21.40 | $706.82 |
52-Week Low | $5.70 | $450.75 |
Enterprise Value | $3.09B | $25.35B |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
SOUN trades at $7.35, down 1.47% on the day, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages. The company reported strong revenue growth of 45% in Q2 2026 and raised its full-year outlook, driven by its OASYS platform. However, it remains unprofitable with a net income margin of -67.45% and negative cash flow from operations. Analyst sentiment is positive with a 75% buy rating and an $8.50 consensus price target.
The outlook hinges on SOUN's ability to convert rapid revenue growth into profitability. Investment opportunity lies in market leadership in voice AI and enterprise adoption via OASYS. Key risks include persistent cash burn, high valuation multiples, and execution challenges in integrating acquisitions like LivePerson.
Ulta Beauty (ULTA) trades at $537.69, down 2.0% today, with a bullish technical outlook from moving averages and a consensus analyst price target of $618.29. Recent earnings show mixed quarterly beats, with Q1 2026 EPS of $7.74 exceeding expectations, while revenue growth remains steady at $11.3B for 2025. The company maintains strong profitability with a net margin of 9.36% and ROE of 47.45%, supported by an omnichannel strategy highlighted in recent news.
The stock presents a buy opportunity with Wall Street optimism (56.53% buy ratings) and solid fundamentals, but risks include margin compression from rising costs and competitive pressures. Near-term catalysts include the Q2 2026 earnings report, with expected EPS of $6.17, and the transition from the Target partnership, viewed as a growth opportunity by analysts.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
SoundHound AI, Inc. is a leading innovator in voice artificial intelligence, specializing in conversational intelligence technology. The company develops a platform that allows businesses to add custom voice assistants and natural language processing capabilities to their products and services, ranging from in-car systems and smart speakers to mobile apps and IoT devices. SoundHound's core technology, including its proprietary speech recognition and natural language understanding models, aims to enable fast, accurate, and deeply integrated voice AI experiences across various industries.
Read more on SOUN →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 →