GE vs. ULTA

Last updated Jun 13, 2026

GE (General Electric Company) and ULTA (Ulta Beauty, Inc.) are both stocks. GE operates in Specialty Industrial Machinery (Industrials), while ULTA operates in Specialty Retail (Consumer Cyclical). Over the past 10 years, GE returned 9.96%/yr vs 7.00%/yr for ULTA. At a 0.33 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

GE vs. ULTA - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in General Electric Company (GE) and Ulta Beauty, Inc. (ULTA). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, GE achieves a 9.01% return, which is significantly higher than ULTA's -22.69% return. Over the past 10 years, GE has outperformed ULTA with an annualized return of 9.96%, while ULTA has yielded a comparatively lower 7.00% annualized return.

GE

• 1D: 0.76%
• 1M: 13.77%
• YTD: 9.01%
• 6M: 12.13%
• 1Y: 40.45%
• 3Y*: 58.72%
• 5Y*: 38.14%
• 10Y*: 9.96%

ULTA

• 1D: -1.82%
• 1M: -4.96%
• YTD: -22.69%
• 6M: -22.25%
• 1Y: 1.15%
• 3Y*: 1.77%
• 5Y*: 6.68%
• 10Y*: 7.00%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

GE vs. ULTA - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
GE General Electric Company	9.01%	85.73%	64.83%	95.71%	-10.92%	9.69%	-2.73%	54.00%	-55.39%	-42.92%
ULTA Ulta Beauty, Inc.	-22.69%	39.11%	-11.24%	4.46%	13.76%	43.59%	13.44%	3.39%	9.47%	-12.27%

Correlation

The correlation between GE and ULTA is 0.20, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.20
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.21
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.30
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.29
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Oct 25, 2007	0.33

The correlation between GE and ULTA shifts across timeframes, from 0.20 (1 year) to 0.33 (all time), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Fundamentals

Market Cap GE : $351.79B ULTA : $20.56B
EPS GE : $8.15 ULTA : $26.57
PE Ratio GE : 41.14 ULTA : 17.60
PEG Ratio GE : 0.01 ULTA : 1.75
PS Ratio GE : 7.37 ULTA : 1.65
PB Ratio GE : 19.48 ULTA : 7.97
Total Revenue (TTM) GE : $48.35B ULTA : $12.71B
Gross Profit (TTM) GE : $16.84B ULTA : $5.00B
EBITDA (TTM) GE : $11.01B ULTA : $1.81B

Return for Risk

GE vs. ULTA — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

GE

GE Risk / Return Rank: 76
GE Sharpe Ratio Rank: 80
GE Sortino Ratio Rank: 74
GE Omega Ratio Rank: 73
GE Calmar Ratio Rank: 76
GE Martin Ratio Rank: 78

ULTA

ULTA Risk / Return Rank: 42
ULTA Sharpe Ratio Rank: 44
ULTA Sortino Ratio Rank: 38
ULTA Omega Ratio Rank: 39
ULTA Calmar Ratio Rank: 43
ULTA Martin Ratio Rank: 43

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

GE vs. ULTA - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for General Electric Company (GE) 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.

	GE	ULTA	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	1.29	0.03	+1.25
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	1.82	0.29	+1.53
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.23	1.04	+0.19
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.95	0.03	+1.92
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	5.26	0.08	+5.18

GE vs. ULTA - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current GE Sharpe Ratio is 1.29, which is higher than the ULTA Sharpe Ratio of 0.03. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of GE and ULTA, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Drawdowns

GE vs. ULTA - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum GE drawdown since its inception was -85.53%, roughly equal to the maximum ULTA drawdown of -87.89%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for GE and ULTA.

Drawdown Indicators

	GE	ULTA	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-85.53%	-87.89%	+2.36%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-20.85%	-34.56%	+13.71%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-21.36%	-44.56%	+23.20%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-44.94%	-44.56%	-0.38%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-81.18%	-64.92%	-16.26%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-2.88%	-33.82%	+30.94%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-25.78%	-20.81%	-4.97%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	7.71%	14.13%	-6.42%

Volatility

GE vs. ULTA - Volatility Comparison

General Electric Company (GE) has a higher volatility of 11.02% compared to Ulta Beauty, Inc. (ULTA) at 9.69%. This indicates that GE'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.

Volatility by Period

	GE	ULTA	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	11.02%	9.69%	+1.33%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	27.28%	25.04%	+2.24%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	31.64%	33.39%	-1.75%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	31.13%	34.26%	-3.13%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	36.37%	38.32%	-1.95%

Dividends

GE vs. ULTA - Dividend Comparison

GE's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.46%, while ULTA has not paid dividends to shareholders.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
GE General Electric Company	0.46%	0.47%	0.67%	0.25%	0.38%	0.34%	0.37%	4.12%	4.89%	4.81%	2.94%	2.95%
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

GE vs. ULTA - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between General Electric Company and Ulta Beauty, Inc. over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

GE - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, General Electric Company reported a gross profit of 3.85B and revenue of 12.39B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 31.0%.

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%.

GE - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, General Electric Company reported an operating income of 1.70B and revenue of 12.39B, resulting in an operating margin of 13.7%.

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%.

GE - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, General Electric Company reported a net income of 1.94B and revenue of 12.39B, resulting in a net margin of 15.6%.

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

Can I hold both GE and ULTA in my portfolio?

GE and ULTA have a correlation of 0.20, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, GE or ULTA?

GE has higher volatility (11.02%) compared to ULTA (9.69%). In terms of maximum drawdown, GE dropped -85.53% vs ULTA's -87.89%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

GE currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.29 vs 0.03), 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.