SYSCO Corporation vs Ulta Beauty Inc — how do they compare? SYSCO Corporation trades at $81.58 (market cap $39.08B), while Ulta Beauty Inc trades at $542.26 (market cap $23.17B). The key difference: SYSCO Corporation is the larger of the two by market cap, and SYSCO Corporation pays a 2.7% dividend while Ulta Beauty Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| SYY | ULTA | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $39.08B | $23.17B |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $91.16 | $706.82 |
52-Week Low | $69.30 | $450.75 |
Enterprise Value | $52.26B | $25.48B |
Dividend Yield | 2.7% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Sysco Corporation (SYY) trades at $79.84, down 0.26% with a bullish technical signal despite mixed moving averages. The company reported $81.37B in revenue for 2025 with a 2.08% net margin and maintains strong analyst support with 60% buy ratings. Recent news highlights AI efficiency initiatives and reaffirmed 2027 guidance, while the pending Jetro Restaurant Depot acquisition presents both growth opportunities and integration risks.
Sysco offers stable fundamentals with consistent revenue growth and dividend aristocrat status, but faces execution risks from its major acquisition and margin pressures. The stock trades below the $88.25 consensus target, suggesting potential upside if AI efficiency gains materialize and integration proceeds smoothly.
ULTA Beauty trades at $549.23, down 2.64% today, but maintains strong technical support near $539-$530. The company reported solid Q2 2026 earnings with EPS of $6.55 beating expectations of $6.22, while raising full-year guidance. Revenue growth continues at 8.9% year-over-year, though profit margins show slight compression from 12.17% in 2023 to 10.63% in 2025. Analyst consensus remains bullish with a $644 price target representing 17% upside potential.
ULTA presents a compelling growth story with consistent earnings beats and strong institutional support, but faces margin pressure and competitive retail headwinds. The stock's current valuation at 20.54 P/E appears reasonable given its 46.12% ROE and market leadership position. Key risks include consumer spending sensitivity and execution challenges in maintaining growth momentum.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
Sysco is the largest U.S. food-service distributor, boasting 17% market share of the highly fragmented food-service distribution industry. Sysco distributes over 400,000 food and nonfood products to restaurants (63% of revenue), healthcare facilities (8%), education and government buildings (8%), travel and leisure (7%), and other locations (14%) where individuals consume away-from-home meals. In fiscal 2022, 82% of the firm's revenue was U.S.-based, with 7% from Canada, 4% from the U.K., 2% from France, and 4% other.
Read more on SYY →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 →