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Stock Comparison · Structural lead, mixed market

Ross Stores vs Ulta Beauty: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

The structural profiles are close, with Ross Stores carrying a narrow edge on valuation. Ulta Beauty still has the edge on valuation, which keeps the comparison from looking entirely one-sided. On the market side, Ross Stores is in better shape — its trend is intact while Ulta Beauty's trend has broken down. That puts structure and market broadly in agreement — Ross Stores's lead looks more confirmed than conflicted.

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

Updated 2026-04-05

Valuation points more clearly toward Ulta Beauty, Inc., even if the broader score still leans toward Ross Stores, Inc..

Trajectory Similarity
0.80
Similar
Peer-set rank: #10
within Ross Stores, Inc.'s functional peer set

This pair is matched through long-term financial trajectory similarity within the selected peer universe.

A solid similarity means the pair shares a clearly comparable long-term financial profile, even if individual dimensions still differ.

The match is driven mainly by revenue stability and margin consistency.

Similarity drivers
revenue stabilitymargin consistency
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
ROST
Ross Stores, Inc.
72
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: ROST vs ULTA Profitability 88 67 Stability 61 45 Valuation 57 87 Growth 82 66 ROST ULTA
Gap Ranking
#1 Valuation +30
#2 Profitability +21
#3 Growth +16
#4 Stability +16
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for ROST and ULTA Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer ROSTULTA Relative valuation Structural strength

Ross Stores, Inc. still looks stronger overall, though current pricing looks more supportive for Ulta Beauty, Inc..

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

Relative Position vs Comparable Companies
Valuation
Both profiles are strong on valuation, but Ulta Beauty, Inc. leads clearly.
Profitability
On profitability, the same pattern holds: both rank well, but Ross Stores, Inc. still sits higher.
Valuation — Dominant Gap
ROST
57
ULTA
87
Gap+30in favour of ULTA

The peer-relative valuation gap is wide, with the stronger side also looking meaningfully cheaper.

What keeps the gap from being one-sided

Ulta Beauty, Inc. still shows lower market-fundamental divergence, which keeps the wider picture mixed rather than completely one-sided.

What this means for the comparison

The lead is built on both valuation and profitability — though valuation still provides a counterweight.

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

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Other comparisons with conflicting dimension signals

Explore how ROST 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.