Ulta Beauty Inc vs Valero Energy Corporation — how do they compare? Ulta Beauty Inc trades at $564.83 (market cap $24.12B), while Valero Energy Corporation trades at $443.48 (market cap $127.78B). The key difference: Valero Energy Corporation is far larger — about 5.3× Ulta Beauty Inc's market cap, and Valero Energy Corporation pays a 1.08% dividend while Ulta Beauty Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals — on Pluang, investors hold Ulta Beauty Inc for 92 Days and Valero Energy Corporation for 56 Days on average.
| ULTA | VLO | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $24.12B | $127.78B |
Volume | 457,598 | 2,570,225 |
Sector | Consumer Cyclical | Energy |
52-Week High | $706.82 | $443.80 |
52-Week Low | $450.75 | $156.39 |
Typical Hold Time | 92 Days | 56 Days |
Enterprise Value | $26.43B | $131.26B |
Dividend Yield | — | 1.08% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
ULTA Beauty trades at $545.48, down 0.33% on the day, with a bullish technical outlook supported by moving averages. The company reported strong Q2 2026 earnings beat and raised 2026 guidance, though Q4 2025 missed expectations. Valuation metrics show a P/E of 20.55 and P/S of 1.92, with robust profitability including 46.12% ROE. Analyst consensus is strongly bullish with 59.57% buy ratings and a $624.93 price target, representing 14.6% upside potential.
ULTA presents a compelling growth story with e-commerce momentum and expansion into wellness categories, though margin compression and flat traffic pose near-term challenges. The stock offers attractive upside to analyst targets but faces execution risks amid consumer spending pressures. Institutional ownership remains strong with recent buying activity from major funds.
Valero Energy (VLO) trades at $424.10, up 1.16% today, near its 52-week high. The stock exhibits bullish technical signals with strong moving average alignment and has beaten earnings estimates for three consecutive quarters. Revenue declined to $122.69 billion in 2025, but net income margin improved to 5.17%. Analyst consensus is bullish with a $408.10 price target, and recent news highlights institutional buying and refining margin strength.
Outlook remains positive driven by earnings beats and supportive refining margins, but risks include potential diesel export policy changes and volatile energy markets. The stock's high RSI suggests near-term overbought conditions, yet fundamental improvements and strong cash flow projections for 2026 provide a solid foundation for continued investor interest.
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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 →Valero Energy is one of the largest independent refiners in the United States. It operates 14 refineries with a total throughput capacity of 3.2 million barrels a day in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Valero also owns 14 ethanol plants with capacity of 1.7 billion gallons of ethanol a year and holds a 50% stake in Diamond Green Diesel, which has capacity to produce 700 million gallons per year of renewable diesel.
Read more on VLO →