Ulta Beauty Inc vs 22nd Century Group Inc — how do they compare? Ulta Beauty Inc trades at $489.47 (market cap $20.98B), while 22nd Century Group Inc trades at $4.48 (market cap $1.49M). The key difference: Ulta Beauty Inc is far larger — about 14080.5× 22nd Century Group Inc's market cap. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| ULTA | XXII | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $20.98B | $1.49M |
Sector | Consumer Cyclical | Technology |
52-Week High | $706.82 | $1.07K |
52-Week Low | $450.75 | $3.90 |
Enterprise Value | $23.06B | -$6.74M |
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.
XXII trades at $4.32, down 0.23% on the day, with neutral technical signals and bearish moving averages. The company shows significant financial challenges with negative profit margins (-65.76% net income margin) and declining revenue, though analyst sentiment remains positive with 75% buy ratings. Recent corporate actions include a 20:1 reverse stock split completed in June 2026, while expansion initiatives in California and New York aim to drive VLN brand growth.
The outlook remains speculative with high execution risk given persistent losses and negative ROE (-130.19%). Investment opportunity hinges on successful commercialization of reduced-nicotine products and FDA regulatory progress, but substantial financial deterioration and competitive pressures present significant downside risk for shareholders.
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 →22nd Century Group is a plant biotechnology company that uses genetic engineering and gene editing to control the levels of nicotine in tobacco plants. Its flagship product line, VLN®, is the first and only combustible cigarette authorized by the FDA as a Modified Risk Tobacco Product (MRTP), containing 95% less nicotine than traditional cigarettes to help adult smokers smoke less.
Read more on XXII →