ULTA vs. ABG

Last updated Jun 3, 2026

ULTA (Ulta Beauty, Inc.) and ABG (Asbury Automotive Group, Inc.) are both stocks. Both are in the Consumer Cyclical sector — ULTA in Specialty Retail, ABG in Auto & Truck Dealerships. Over the past 10 years, ULTA returned 7.66%/yr vs 13.24%/yr for ABG. At a 0.37 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

ULTA vs. ABG - Performance Comparison

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

Returns By Period

The year-to-date returns for both stocks are quite close, with ULTA having a -18.20% return and ABG slightly lower at -18.31%. Over the past 10 years, ULTA has underperformed ABG with an annualized return of 7.66%, while ABG has yielded a comparatively higher 13.24% annualized return.

ULTA

• 1D: -1.18%
• 1M: -6.97%
• YTD: -18.20%
• 6M: -9.70%
• 1Y: 4.04%
• 3Y*: 5.42%
• 5Y*: 8.25%
• 10Y*: 7.66%

ABG

• 1D: 1.79%
• 1M: -6.43%
• YTD: -18.31%
• 6M: -17.58%
• 1Y: -17.13%
• 3Y*: -4.56%
• 5Y*: -0.01%
• 10Y*: 13.24%

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

ULTA vs. ABG - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
ULTA Ulta Beauty, Inc.	-18.20%	39.11%	-11.24%	4.46%	13.76%	43.59%	13.44%	3.39%	9.47%	-12.27%
ABG Asbury Automotive Group, Inc.	-18.31%	-4.32%	8.03%	25.51%	3.77%	18.52%	30.37%	67.70%	4.16%	3.73%

Correlation

The correlation between ULTA and ABG is 0.25, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.25
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.34
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.37
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.35
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Oct 26, 2007	0.37

The correlation between ULTA and ABG shifts across timeframes, from 0.25 (1 year) to 0.37 (all time), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Fundamentals

Market Cap ULTA : $21.76B ABG : $3.61B
EPS ULTA : $26.57 ABG : $21.01
PE Ratio ULTA : 18.62 ABG : 9.04
PEG Ratio ULTA : 1.85 ABG : 1.54
PS Ratio ULTA : 1.74 ABG : 0.21
Total Revenue (TTM) ULTA : $12.71B ABG : $17.96B
Gross Profit (TTM) ULTA : $5.00B ABG : $3.05B
EBITDA (TTM) ULTA : $1.81B ABG : $1.06B

Return for Risk

ULTA vs. ABG — Risk / Return Rank

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

ULTA

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

ABG

ABG Risk / Return Rank: 19
ABG Sharpe Ratio Rank: 17
ABG Sortino Ratio Rank: 18
ABG Omega Ratio Rank: 18
ABG Calmar Ratio Rank: 23
ABG Martin Ratio Rank: 18

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.

ULTA vs. ABG - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Ulta Beauty, Inc. (ULTA) and Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. (ABG). 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.

	ULTA	ABG	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.12	-0.53	+0.66
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	0.41	-0.56	+0.97
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.05	0.93	+0.12
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.15	-0.49	+0.65
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	0.39	-1.04	+1.42
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

ULTA vs. ABG - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ULTA Sharpe Ratio is 0.12, which is higher than the ABG Sharpe Ratio of -0.53. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ULTA and ABG, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	ULTA	ABG	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.12	-0.53	+0.66
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.24	-0.00	+0.24
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.20	0.32	-0.12
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.36	0.23	+0.14

Drawdowns

ULTA vs. ABG - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ULTA drawdown since its inception was -87.89%, smaller than the maximum ABG drawdown of -92.76%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ULTA and ABG.

Drawdown Indicators

	ULTA	ABG	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-87.89%	-92.76%	+4.87%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-32.11%	-33.72%	+1.61%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-44.56%	-42.37%	-2.19%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-44.56%	-42.37%	-2.19%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-64.92%	-65.68%	+0.76%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-29.99%	-37.89%	+7.90%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-20.79%	-26.29%	+5.50%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	12.81%	16.07%	-3.26%

Volatility

ULTA vs. ABG - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Ulta Beauty, Inc. (ULTA) is 8.70%, while Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. (ABG) has a volatility of 11.73%. This indicates that ULTA experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than ABG based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	ULTA	ABG	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	8.70%	11.73%	-3.03%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	27.28%	21.59%	+5.69%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	32.81%	32.34%	+0.47%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	34.21%	39.92%	-5.71%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	38.28%	41.46%	-3.18%

Dividends

ULTA vs. ABG - Dividend Comparison

Neither ULTA nor ABG has paid dividends to shareholders.

Tickers have no history of dividend payments

Financials

ULTA vs. ABG - Profitability Comparison

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

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%.

ABG - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. reported a gross profit of 726.90M and revenue of 4.11B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 17.7%.

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%.

ABG - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. reported an operating income of 193.90M and revenue of 4.11B, resulting in an operating margin of 4.7%.

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%.

ABG - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. reported a net income of 187.80M and revenue of 4.11B, resulting in a net margin of 4.6%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both ULTA and ABG in my portfolio?

ULTA and ABG have a correlation of 0.25, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, ULTA or ABG?

ABG has higher volatility (11.73%) compared to ULTA (8.70%). In terms of maximum drawdown, ULTA dropped -87.89% vs ABG's -92.76%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

ULTA currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (0.12 vs -0.53), 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.