Synchrony Financial vs Ulta Beauty Inc — how do they compare? Synchrony Financial trades at $78.44 (market cap $25.53B), while Ulta Beauty Inc trades at $535.13 (market cap $23.27B). The key difference: Synchrony Financial and Ulta Beauty Inc are close in size by market cap, and Synchrony Financial pays a 1.73% dividend while Ulta Beauty Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| SYF | ULTA | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $25.53B | $23.27B |
Sector | Financials | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $88.47 | $706.82 |
52-Week Low | $63.78 | $450.75 |
Dividend Yield | 1.73% | — |
Enterprise Value | — | $25.35B |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Synchrony Financial (SYF) trades at $78.25, up 0.08% on the day, with a bullish technical outlook supported by moving averages and strong quarterly earnings beats. The stock shows robust fundamentals with a P/E of 8.05, net income margin of 23.4%, and consistent revenue around $15.0B. Recent news highlights partnerships like CareCredit with Stripe and aggressive share buybacks, while analyst consensus is strongly positive with a $86.33 price target.
The outlook for SYF is favorable due to undervaluation, earnings growth, and shareholder returns via dividends and buybacks. Risks include economic sensitivity to consumer spending and rising expenses. With no sell ratings from analysts and institutional confidence, the stock presents a solid opportunity for value-oriented investors seeking financial sector exposure.
ULTA Beauty trades at $548.66, down 2.92% on the day, with strong technical momentum indicated by bullish moving averages and key support at $542. Fundamentally, the company maintains robust profitability with 39.33% gross margins and 47.45% ROE, though recent earnings showed mixed results with a Q4 miss. Revenue growth has been consistent, reaching $11.3B in 2025, while analyst sentiment remains positive with 56.53% buy ratings.
The outlook for ULTA remains favorable with a consensus price target of $618.29 offering 12.7% upside potential. Key opportunities include omnichannel expansion and digital growth initiatives, while risks involve margin pressure from rising costs and competitive retail landscape. Institutional ownership trends show continued confidence with recent position increases by major funds.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
Synchrony Financial is a premier consumer financial services company and the largest provider of private-label credit cards in the United States. Spun off from GE Capital in 2014, it operates through a unique B2B2C model, embedding its financing products within the ecosystems of major partners like Amazon, Lowe’s, and PayPal. Synchrony leverages deep data analytics and a diverse multi-platform strategy—spanning retail, health, and auto—to drive customer loyalty and provide specialized credit solutions at the point of sale.
Read more on SYF →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 →