ULTA vs. NKE

Last updated Jun 6, 2026

ULTA (Ulta Beauty, Inc.) and NKE (NIKE, Inc.) are both stocks. Both are in the Consumer Cyclical sector — ULTA in Specialty Retail, NKE in Footwear & Accessories. Over the past 10 years, ULTA returned 6.92%/yr vs -0.82%/yr for NKE. At a 0.40 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

ULTA vs. NKE - Performance Comparison

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

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ULTA achieves a -22.80% return, which is significantly higher than NKE's -31.48% return. Over the past 10 years, ULTA has outperformed NKE with an annualized return of 6.92%, while NKE has yielded a comparatively lower -0.82% annualized return.

ULTA

• 1D: 0.98%
• 1M: -12.71%
• YTD: -22.80%
• 6M: -22.35%
• 1Y: 0.01%
• 3Y*: 3.81%
• 5Y*: 7.42%
• 10Y*: 6.92%

NKE

• 1D: -1.47%
• 1M: -1.17%
• YTD: -31.48%
• 6M: -33.72%
• 1Y: -29.54%
• 3Y*: -24.47%
• 5Y*: -18.98%
• 10Y*: -0.82%

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

ULTA vs. NKE - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
ULTA Ulta Beauty, Inc.	-22.80%	39.11%	-11.24%	4.46%	13.76%	43.59%	13.44%	3.39%	9.47%	-12.27%
NKE NIKE, Inc.	-31.48%	-13.83%	-29.11%	-6.01%	-29.04%	18.70%	40.97%	38.09%	19.87%	24.70%

Correlation

The correlation between ULTA and NKE is 0.29, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.29
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.31
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.43
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.38
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Oct 26, 2007	0.40

The correlation between ULTA and NKE shifts across timeframes, from 0.29 (1 year) to 0.43 (5 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Fundamentals

Market Cap ULTA : $20.53B NKE : $63.63B
EPS ULTA : $26.57 NKE : $1.52
PE Ratio ULTA : 17.58 NKE : 28.27
PS Ratio ULTA : 1.64 NKE : 1.37
PB Ratio ULTA : 7.96 NKE : 4.52
Total Revenue (TTM) ULTA : $12.71B NKE : $46.52B
Gross Profit (TTM) ULTA : $5.00B NKE : $18.99B
EBITDA (TTM) ULTA : $1.81B NKE : $3.33B

Return for Risk

ULTA vs. NKE — Risk / Return Rank

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

ULTA

ULTA Risk / Return Rank: 39
ULTA Sharpe Ratio Rank: 42
ULTA Sortino Ratio Rank: 36
ULTA Omega Ratio Rank: 36
ULTA Calmar Ratio Rank: 42
ULTA Martin Ratio Rank: 42

NKE

NKE Risk / Return Rank: 13
NKE Sharpe Ratio Rank: 10
NKE Sortino Ratio Rank: 12
NKE Omega Ratio Rank: 12
NKE Calmar Ratio Rank: 18
NKE Martin Ratio Rank: 13

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. NKE - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Ulta Beauty, Inc. (ULTA) and NIKE, Inc. (NKE). 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	NKE	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	0.00	-0.78	+0.78
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	0.23	-1.00	+1.23
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.03	0.87	+0.16
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.00	-0.64	+0.64
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	0.00	-1.25	+1.25
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. NKE - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ULTA Sharpe Ratio is 0.00, which is higher than the NKE Sharpe Ratio of -0.78. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ULTA and NKE, 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	NKE	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.00	-0.78	+0.78
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.22	-0.53	+0.75
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.18	-0.03	+0.21
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.35	0.41	-0.05

Drawdowns

ULTA vs. NKE - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ULTA drawdown since its inception was -87.89%, which is greater than NKE's maximum drawdown of -75.19%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ULTA and NKE.

Drawdown Indicators

	ULTA	NKE	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-87.89%	-75.19%	-12.70%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-34.56%	-46.18%	+11.62%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-44.56%	-64.21%	+19.65%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-44.56%	-74.64%	+30.08%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-64.92%	-74.64%	+9.72%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-33.92%	-73.74%	+39.82%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-20.80%	-20.91%	+0.11%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	13.33%	23.65%	-10.32%

Volatility

ULTA vs. NKE - Volatility Comparison

Ulta Beauty, Inc. (ULTA) and NIKE, Inc. (NKE) have volatilities of 9.12% and 9.50%, respectively, indicating that both stocks experience similar levels of price fluctuations. This suggests that the risk associated with both stocks, as measured by volatility, is nearly the same. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	ULTA	NKE	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	9.12%	9.50%	-0.38%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	27.72%	29.21%	-1.49%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	33.17%	38.14%	-4.97%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	34.27%	35.80%	-1.53%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	38.30%	32.24%	+6.06%

Dividends

ULTA vs. NKE - Dividend Comparison

ULTA has not paid dividends to shareholders, while NKE's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.79%.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
NKE NIKE, Inc.	3.79%	2.53%	2.00%	1.28%	1.07%	0.68%	0.71%	0.89%	1.11%	1.18%	1.30%	0.93%
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

ULTA vs. NKE - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between Ulta Beauty, Inc. and NIKE, 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%.

NKE - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, NIKE, Inc. reported a gross profit of 4.53B and revenue of 11.28B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 40.2%.

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%.

NKE - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, NIKE, Inc. reported an operating income of 553.00M and revenue of 11.28B, resulting in an operating margin of 4.9%.

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%.

NKE - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, NIKE, Inc. reported a net income of 520.00M and revenue of 11.28B, resulting in a net margin of 4.6%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both ULTA and NKE in my portfolio?

ULTA and NKE have a correlation of 0.29, 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 NKE?

NKE has higher volatility (9.50%) compared to ULTA (9.12%). In terms of maximum drawdown, ULTA dropped -87.89% vs NKE's -75.19%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

ULTA currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (0.00 vs -0.78), 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.