SYSCO Corporation vs Ulta Beauty Inc — how do they compare? SYSCO Corporation trades at $85.47 (market cap $40.32B), while Ulta Beauty Inc trades at $531.85 (market cap $23.27B). The key difference: SYSCO Corporation is the larger of the two by market cap, and SYSCO Corporation pays a 2.61% dividend while Ulta Beauty Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| SYY | ULTA | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $40.32B | $23.27B |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $91.16 | $706.82 |
52-Week Low | $69.30 | $450.75 |
Enterprise Value | $53.50B | $25.35B |
Dividend Yield | 2.61% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Sysco (SYY) trades at $84.73, up 1.03% today, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages and a consensus analyst price target of $88.25. The company reported strong Q4 2026 earnings, beating EPS estimates with $1.53 versus $1.51 expected, driven by U.S. foodservice volume growth and cost efficiencies. Revenue reached $81.37 billion in 2025, with net income of $1.83 billion, though profit margins remain thin at 2.08%. Recent news highlights CEO discussions on CNBC and operational initiatives, including AI-driven efficiencies.
The outlook for SYY is positive, supported by earnings beats, steady cash flow, and analyst optimism, but risks include competitive pressures, supply chain disruptions, and macroeconomic uncertainty. Upside potential exists if the company maintains volume growth and margin improvements, but investors should monitor debt levels and food safety issues highlighted in recent reports.
ULTA stock trades at $532.14, down 3.01% today, amid mixed technical signals with a bullish moving average trend but neutral oscillators. The company reported Q1 2026 EPS of $7.74, beating expectations, and maintains strong profitability with a 39.33% gross margin and 47.45% ROE. Recent news highlights Ulta's omnichannel growth strategy and the end of its Target partnership, viewed as a potential revenue opportunity by analysts.
Outlook is positive with a consensus price target of $618.29, representing 16% upside, supported by 56.53% analyst buy ratings. Risks include margin compression, with net income margin projected to drop to 9.35% in 2026, and volatile cash flows, as net cash flow turned negative in 2025. Investors should weigh strong fundamentals against competitive and execution risks in the retail sector.
Trailing returns across standard periods
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.
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