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Stock Comparison · Structural lead, mixed market

lululemon athletica vs Ulta Beauty: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

The structural profiles are close, with Ulta Beauty carrying a narrow edge on growth. lululemon athletica 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 S&P 500 universe, making them directly comparable.

Updated 2026-05-17

The clearest separation starts in growth, with stability adding a second layer of support.

Trajectory Similarity
0.77
Similar
Peer-set rank: #9
within lululemon athletica inc.'s functional peer set

This comparison is anchored in long-term financial trajectory similarity within the selected peer universe.

This level of similarity signals a strong structural match, even though some dimensions still separate the two companies.

The strongest overlap appears in margin consistency and revenue stability.

Similarity drivers
margin consistencyrevenue stability
How to read the score
0.85–1.00 · Very similar0.70–0.84 · Similar0.55–0.69 · Moderately similarbelow 0.55 · Loose match
Peer-Relative Score
LULU
lululemon athletica inc.
55
Peer-Score
Signal qualityMedium
Peer basis: S&P 500
vs
ULTA
Ulta Beauty, Inc.
60
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: S&P 500

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: LULU vs ULTA Profitability 82 54 Stability 15 36 Valuation 88 83 Growth 7 56 LULU ULTA
Gap Ranking
#1 Growth +49
#2 Profitability +28
#3 Stability +21
#4 Valuation +5
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for LULU and ULTA Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer LULUULTA Relative valuation Structural strength

Ulta Beauty, Inc. occupies the cheaper side of the setup map, although lululemon athletica inc. still holds the stronger structural profile.

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

Entry today — historical context

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

BASED ON 5-YEAR HISTORY LULU Lower · below norm 0th 50th 100th 74 pct gap ULTA Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 1st 75th
Today LULU sits in the lower portion of its own 5-year history (1st percentile), while ULTA sits higher in its own history (75th). Within each stock's own 5-year context, LULU is at a historically more favourable entry position than ULTA. This reflects entry timing, not which company is structurally stronger — peer-relative analysis is a separate question addressed above.

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

Relative Position vs Comparable Companies
Growth
On growth, Ulta Beauty, Inc. is positioned higher in the group, while lululemon athletica inc. is closer to the middle.
Profitability
Both rank well on profitability, but lululemon athletica inc. still holds a clear edge.
Growth — Dominant Gap
LULU
7
ULTA
56
Gap+49in favour of ULTA

The clearest distance comes from a stronger growth profile.

What keeps the gap from being one-sided

Profitability still favours lululemon athletica, with a 10.1-point operating margin advantage keeping the comparison from looking fully resolved.

What this means for the comparison

Growth points more clearly to Ulta Beauty, Inc., but profitability and current pricing keep the broader result mixed.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

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

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Other comparisons with conflicting dimension signals

Explore how LULU 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.