Ulta Beauty Inc vs Williams Companies Inc — how do they compare? Ulta Beauty Inc trades at $489.47 (market cap $20.98B), while Williams Companies Inc trades at $73.43 (market cap $90.70B). The key difference: Williams Companies Inc is far larger — about 4.3× Ulta Beauty Inc's market cap, and Williams Companies Inc pays a 2.83% dividend while Ulta Beauty Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| ULTA | WMB | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $20.98B | $90.70B |
Sector | Consumer Cyclical | Energy |
52-Week High | $706.82 | $79.40 |
52-Week Low | $450.75 | $56.51 |
Enterprise Value | $23.06B | $120.08B |
Dividend Yield | — | 2.83% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
ULTA Beauty trades at $489.47, up 2.06% with a bullish technical signal despite mixed moving averages. The company maintains strong profitability with 39.33% gross margins and 47.45% ROE, though net margins have declined from 12.17% in 2023 to 10.63% in 2025. Recent Q1 2026 earnings beat expectations at $7.74 EPS versus $6.89 expected, while Q4 2025 missed. Analyst consensus remains strongly positive with 26 buy ratings and a $618.29 price target, representing 26% upside potential.
ULTA presents a compelling growth story with international expansion and digital engagement driving long-term potential. However, investors face risks from margin compression, competitive pressures in beauty retail, and volatile cash flow patterns. The stock's current valuation at 18.29x P/E appears reasonable given growth prospects, but requires monitoring of consumer spending trends and execution on strategic initiatives.
Williams Companies (WMB) trades at $73.36, showing minimal daily movement with a slight 0.03% decline. The stock demonstrates strong profitability with 23.4% net income margins and 21.95% ROE, though valuation metrics appear elevated with a P/E of 32.53. Recent developments include a $5.34 billion Blackstone-led investment for power innovation projects and potential $5.5 billion Momentum Midstream acquisition, positioning the company for strategic growth in energy infrastructure.
WMB presents a compelling investment case with strong analyst support (79% buy ratings) and $86 consensus price target representing 17% upside. The company's fee-based midstream model provides revenue stability, while recent strategic investments enhance growth prospects. Key risks include commodity price volatility, execution challenges from major acquisitions, and elevated debt levels at 52% of assets.
Trailing returns across standard periods
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 →Williams is a midstream energy company that owns and operates the large Transco and Northwest pipeline systems and associated natural gas gathering, processing, and storage assets. In August 2018, the firm acquired the remaining 26% ownership of its limited partner, Williams Partners.
Read more on WMB →