Tidewater Inc vs Ulta Beauty Inc — how do they compare? Tidewater Inc trades at $91.85 (market cap $4.54B), while Ulta Beauty Inc trades at $535 (market cap $23.27B). The key difference: Ulta Beauty Inc is far larger — about 5.1× Tidewater Inc's market cap, and Tidewater Inc is trading nearer its 52-week high, Ulta Beauty Inc nearer its low. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| TDW | ULTA | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $4.54B | $23.27B |
Sector | Utilities | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $91.20 | $706.82 |
52-Week Low | $47.29 | $450.75 |
Enterprise Value | $4.58B | $25.35B |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Tidewater (TDW) trades at $90.20, up 0.64% today, with a bullish technical signal driven by moving averages and ADX. Recent Q2 2026 earnings beat estimates (EPS $0.43 vs. $0.32 expected, Zacks Investment Research, 2026-08-03), though quarterly EPS has missed expectations in three of the last four quarters. The company maintains strong profitability with an 18.34% net margin and robust cash flow from operations of $379.11 million in 2025.
Outlook is mixed: bullish technicals and institutional interest support upside, but earnings misses and a high RSI near overbought levels pose risks. Analyst consensus leans hold (57.7%), with valuation metrics like P/E of 18.5 suggesting fair pricing. Key risks include operational costs from Middle East conflicts and revenue volatility.
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
Tidewater is the leading global provider of offshore support vessels (OSVs) to the energy industry. With the world's largest fleet of platform supply vessels (PSVs) and anchor handling tugs (AHTS), it provides critical logistics and marine support for offshore oil, gas, and renewable energy projects. Following a period of massive strategic consolidation, Tidewater is now focused on maximizing day rates and free cash flow in a supply-constrained market, positioning itself as a primary beneficiary of the multi-year offshore upcycle.
Read more on TDW →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 →