Ulta Beauty Inc vs Upwork Inc — how do they compare? Ulta Beauty Inc trades at $535.12 (market cap $23.27B), while Upwork Inc trades at $8.33 (market cap $1.04B). The key difference: Ulta Beauty Inc is far larger — about 22.4× Upwork Inc's market cap, and Ulta Beauty Inc is trading nearer its 52-week high, Upwork Inc nearer its low. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| ULTA | UPWK | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $23.27B | $1.04B |
Sector | Consumer Cyclical | Industrials |
52-Week High | $706.82 | $22.11 |
52-Week Low | $450.75 | $7.84 |
Enterprise Value | $25.35B | $806.15M |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
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.
UPWK is trading at $8.25, down 16.12% amid weak guidance overshadowing a recent Q2 earnings beat. The stock shows bearish technical signals with key support at $8.00. Fundamentally, revenue grew to $787.78M in 2025 with a net income margin of 12.93%, though earnings have been mixed with three misses in the last four quarters. Recent news highlights concerns over declining active clients and AI-driven market shifts.
The outlook is cautious; while valuation ratios like P/E of 10.71 appear reasonable, near-term risks from competitive pressures and investor lawsuits pose headwinds. Analyst consensus is a Buy with a $9.25 target, suggesting potential upside if execution improves, but sentiment remains fragile post-earnings.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
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 →Upwork Inc is a United States-based company that operates an online marketplace that enables businesses to find and work with highly-skilled independent professionals. The develops platform for hiring and freelancing purposes. Its products offering include Upwork Basic, Upwork Plus, Upwork Business, Upwork Enterprise, and Upwork Payroll. The business generates revenue from Talent and Clients across the USA, India, the Philippines and the rest of the world. Substantial income is derived from providing services to Clients.
Read more on UPWK →