EL vs. ULTA
EL (The Estee Lauder Companies Inc.) and ULTA (Ulta Beauty, Inc.) are both stocks. EL operates in Household & Personal Products (Consumer Defensive), while ULTA operates in Specialty Retail (Consumer Cyclical). Over the past 10 years, EL returned 0.60%/yr vs 6.74%/yr for ULTA. At a 0.39 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.
Performance
EL vs. ULTA - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, EL achieves a -19.45% return, which is significantly higher than ULTA's -24.08% return. Over the past 10 years, EL has underperformed ULTA with an annualized return of 0.60%, while ULTA has yielded a comparatively higher 6.74% annualized return.
EL
- 1D
- -0.91%
- 1M
- -4.80%
- YTD
- -19.45%
- 6M
- -21.64%
- 1Y
- 7.81%
- 3Y*
- -22.72%
- 5Y*
- -21.80%
- 10Y*
- 0.60%
ULTA
- 1D
- -1.23%
- 1M
- -10.82%
- YTD
- -24.08%
- 6M
- -23.96%
- 1Y
- -2.59%
- 3Y*
- 0.43%
- 5Y*
- 5.48%
- 10Y*
- 6.74%
EL vs. ULTA - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
EL The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. | -19.45% | 42.13% | -47.59% | -40.13% | -32.31% | 40.03% | 29.77% | 60.34% | 3.38% | 68.68% |
ULTA Ulta Beauty, Inc. | -24.08% | 39.11% | -11.24% | 4.46% | 13.76% | 43.59% | 13.44% | 3.39% | 9.47% | -12.27% |
Correlation
The correlation between EL and ULTA is 0.34, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.34 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.39 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.45 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.40 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Oct 25, 2007 | 0.39 |
The correlation between EL and ULTA shifts across timeframes, from 0.34 (1 year) to 0.45 (5 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
Fundamentals
EL:
$30.61B
ULTA:
$20.19B
EL:
-$0.68
ULTA:
$26.57
EL:
2.05
ULTA:
1.62
EL:
7.66
ULTA:
7.82
EL:
$14.84B
ULTA:
$12.71B
EL:
$11.09B
ULTA:
$5.00B
EL:
$1.30B
ULTA:
$1.81B
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Return for Risk
EL vs. ULTA — Risk / Return Rank
EL
ULTA
EL vs. ULTA - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. (EL) and Ulta Beauty, Inc. (ULTA). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| EL | ULTA | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +0.24 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +0.41 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.07 | 1.02 | +0.06 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 0.18 | -0.07 | +0.25 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 0.42 | -0.17 | +0.59 |
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Drawdowns
EL vs. ULTA - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum EL drawdown since its inception was -85.82%, roughly equal to the maximum ULTA drawdown of -87.89%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for EL and ULTA.
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Drawdown Indicators
| EL | ULTA | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -85.82% | -87.89% | +2.07% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -43.62% | -36.23% | -7.39% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -73.79% | -44.56% | -29.23% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -85.82% | -44.56% | -41.26% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -85.82% | -64.92% | -20.90% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -75.80% | -35.01% | -40.79% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -20.78% | -20.83% | +0.05% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 18.63% | 15.12% | +3.51% |
Volatility
EL vs. ULTA - Volatility Comparison
The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. (EL) has a higher volatility of 16.48% compared to Ulta Beauty, Inc. (ULTA) at 9.36%. This indicates that EL's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than ULTA based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| EL | ULTA | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 16.48% | 9.36% | +7.12% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 39.12% | 25.23% | +13.89% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 47.49% | 33.52% | +13.97% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 43.48% | 34.31% | +9.17% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 36.64% | 38.36% | -1.72% |
Dividends
EL vs. ULTA - Dividend Comparison
EL's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.67%, while ULTA has not paid dividends to shareholders.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
EL The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. | 1.67% | 1.34% | 3.11% | 1.81% | 0.99% | 0.59% | 0.56% | 0.86% | 1.21% | 1.10% | 1.62% | 1.16% |
ULTA Ulta Beauty, Inc. | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Financials
EL vs. ULTA - Financials Comparison
This section allows you to compare key financial metrics between The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. and Ulta Beauty, Inc.. You can select fields from income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements to easily visualize and compare the financial health of both companies.
Total Revenue: Total amount of money received from sales and other business activities
EL vs. ULTA - Profitability Comparison
EL - Gross Margin
Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. reported a gross profit of 2.84B and revenue of 3.71B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 76.4%.
ULTA - Gross Margin
Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Ulta Beauty, Inc. reported a gross profit of 1.27B and revenue of 3.16B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 40.1%.
EL - Operating Margin
Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. reported an operating income of 249.00M and revenue of 3.71B, resulting in an operating margin of 6.7%.
ULTA - Operating Margin
Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Ulta Beauty, Inc. reported an operating income of 448.26M and revenue of 3.16B, resulting in an operating margin of 14.2%.
EL - Net Margin
Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. reported a net income of 89.00M and revenue of 3.71B, resulting in a net margin of 2.4%.
ULTA - Net Margin
Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Ulta Beauty, Inc. reported a net income of 340.47M and revenue of 3.16B, resulting in a net margin of 10.8%.
Frequently Asked Questions
EL and ULTA have a correlation of 0.34, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
EL has higher volatility (16.48%) compared to ULTA (9.36%). In terms of maximum drawdown, EL dropped -85.82% vs ULTA's -87.89%.
EL currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (0.17 vs -0.08), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.
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