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Stock Comparison · Industry comparison · Specialty Retail

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

The structural profiles are close, with DICK'S Sporting Goods carrying a narrow edge on stability. Ulta Beauty still has the edge on profitability, which keeps the comparison from looking entirely one-sided. 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. Both peer scores are relative to the Russell 1000 universe, making them directly comparable.

Updated 2026-08-16

Most of the separation is still concentrated in stability.

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.
62
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: Russell 1000
vs
ULTA
Ulta Beauty, Inc.
61
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: Russell 1000

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

The clearest separation appears in stability.

Dimension spread: DKS vs ULTA Profitability 48 59 Stability 55 38 Valuation 86 84 Growth 56 54 DKS ULTA
Gap Ranking
#1 Stability +17
#2 Profitability +11
#3 Growth +2
#4 Valuation +2
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

The setup is mixed: neither company clearly combines the stronger profile with the more supportive price setup.

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

Entry today — historical context

Where DKS and ULTA each sit in their own 5-year price and valuation history.

BASED ON 5-YEAR HISTORY DKS Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 5 pct gap ULTA Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 70th 76th
DKS (70th percentile) and ULTA (76th percentile) sit at comparable positions within their own 5-year histories. This reflects entry timing, not which company is structurally stronger.

Describes historical entry positioning only. Descriptive — not investment advice.

Relative Position vs Comparable Companies
Stability
On stability, DICK'S Sporting Goods, Inc. is positioned higher in the group, while Ulta Beauty, Inc. is closer to the middle.
Profitability
Both rank well on profitability, but Ulta Beauty, Inc. still sits higher.
Stability — Dominant Gap
DKS
55
ULTA
38
Gap+17in favour of DKS

The clearest distance comes from a steadier profile over time.

What keeps the gap from being one-sided

Capital efficiency also runs the other way, with a 16.2-point ROIC edge acting as a real counterforce.

What this means for the comparison

Stability is the clearest driver of the lead, with profitability adding further support — though profitability still provides a real counterweight.

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 stability-and-profitability 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.

Because scores are peer-relative, the same company can have slightly different scores in different index universes. On comparison pages, both companies are shown within their shared peer universe wherever possible — so the scores are directly comparable. The peer basis is stated on each score card.

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.