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Stock Comparison · Industry comparison · Specialty Retail

DICK'S Sporting Goods vs Ulta Beauty: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

Ulta Beauty holds the cleaner structural position, with profitability as the main driver and stability adding further support. DICK'S Sporting Goods does not offset that deficit through any equally strong structural edge elsewhere. Both sides have seen trend damage — neither carries a clear market edge right now. With both trends damaged, the structural comparison carries most of the weight here.

The comparison is based on similar long-term financial trajectories, not sector labels.

Updated 2026-04-05

Profitability remains the main source of distance in the comparison. Ulta Beauty, Inc. leads by 19 points on the overall comparison score.

INDUSTRY COMPARISON

Both operate in: Specialty Retail

This comparison is based on industry proximity, not on functional trajectory similarity. DKS and ULTA share the same industry classification.

For a similarity-based comparison, see how DICK'S Sporting Goods and Ulta Beauty each position within their functional peer groups in AssetNext.

Peer-Relative Score
DKS
DICK'S Sporting Goods, Inc.
50
Peer-Score
Signal qualityMedium
vs
ULTA
Ulta Beauty, Inc.
69
Peer-Score
Signal qualityMedium

Scores reflect position relative to comparable companies with similar long-term financial trajectories.

The largest gaps do not all point in the same direction.

Dimension spread: DKS vs ULTA Profitability 19 67 Stability 35 45 Valuation 84 87 Growth 60 66 DKS ULTA
Gap Ranking
#1 Profitability +48
#2 Stability +10
#3 Growth +6
#4 Valuation +3
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for DKS and ULTA Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer DKSULTA Relative valuation Structural strength

Neither company combines the stronger profile with the cheaper valuation.

Valuation position uses peer-relative PE percentile (idx_pct_pe) where available.

Relative Position vs Comparable Companies
Profitability
On profitability, Ulta Beauty, Inc. ranks near the top of the group; DICK'S Sporting Goods, Inc. sits in the weaker half.
Stability
Ulta Beauty, Inc. holds the stronger peer position on stability.
Profitability — Dominant Gap
DKS
19
ULTA
67
Gap+48in favour of ULTA

Capital efficiency adds support, with a 15.4-point ROIC advantage.

What else supports the lead

Ulta Beauty, Inc. also looks less cycle-sensitive, which gives the profile a calmer footing than a pure score split would imply.

What this means for the comparison

Profitability is the clearest driver, and stability also supports Ulta Beauty, Inc.'s broader structural position.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

Break down the DKS vs ULTA comparison across all dimensions with the full interactive tool.

Explore full breakdown →
Similar profitability-driven comparisons

Explore how DKS and ULTA each compare against other companies in their peer groups.

Rule-based, descriptive analysis only. Derived from peer percentile dimensions. Not investment advice. Peer groups are determined algorithmically based on structural similarity — not by sector classification alone.

How AssetNext Peer Scores Work

AssetNext scores reflect each company's structural position within its functional peer group — not a ranking against all stocks simultaneously. Peers are identified by similarity across eight financial dimensions, including revenue growth trajectory, margin structure, capital intensity, and earnings stability. A score of 75 means the company ranks in the top quartile within its own peer group, not the entire market.

Four dimension scores drive the overall peer score: Growth (revenue trajectory and expansion dynamics), Quality (margin structure and capital efficiency), Valuation (peer-relative pricing on standard multiples), and Stability (earnings consistency and financial predictability). Each dimension is scored 0–100 relative to the peer group, then combined into an overall peer score using equal weighting.

Scores are recalculated periodically as underlying financial data is updated. All analysis is descriptive and rule-based — AssetNext describes structural realities and never issues buy, sell or hold recommendations.