SafetyMargin.ioSafetyMargin.io
BlogWatchlistCompare
Compare Stocks › ABBV vs ULTA

AbbVie Inc. (ABBV) vs Ulta Beauty, Inc. (ULTA)

ABBV
AbbVie Inc.
$206.23
VS
ULTA
Ulta Beauty, Inc.
$534.10

Rewards

ABBV
  • ★AbbVie Inc. has maintained ROIC above 10% for 4 consecutive years, suggesting solid business economics.
  • ★Gross margin of 71.6% indicates strong pricing power — typical of businesses with significant intellectual property or brand strength.
  • ★AbbVie Inc. scores 83/100 on the Economic Moat Score (Wide Moat), with reinvestment efficiency as the strongest competitive dimension.
ULTA
  • ★Ulta Beauty, Inc. has maintained ROIC above 15% for 4 consecutive years, indicating a durable competitive advantage.
  • ★Ulta Beauty, Inc. scores 89/100 on the Economic Moat Score (Wide Moat), with roic consistency as the strongest competitive dimension.
  • ★Return on equity has consistently exceeded 20% over 4 years, indicating efficient use of shareholder capital.

Risks

ABBV
  • ⚠Buybacks have been poorly timed — 3 out of 4 years involved repurchases at relatively expensive valuations.
  • ⚠FCF yield of 5.0% suggests reasonable valuation assuming continued moderate growth.
  • ⚠Trailing P/E of 87.0x is 39% above the historical average of 62.5x — the stock trades at a premium to its own history.
ULTA

    Key Valuation Metrics

    Learn more →
    ABBV
    ULTA
    Valuation
    $18.34B
    Free Cash Flow
    $900.10M
    5.03%
    FCF Yield
    3.76%
    87.02
    Trailing P/E
    20.83
    12.80
    Forward P/E
    16.96
    Quality & Moat
    24.09%
    ROIC
    24.02%
    N/A
    ROE
    41.15%
    71.62%
    Gross Margin
    39.10%
    N/A
    PEG Ratio
    N/A
    Balance Sheet Safety
    N/A
    Debt / Equity
    0.78
    N/A
    Interest Coverage
    N/A
    2.16
    Net Debt / EBITDA
    0.92
    3.36%
    Dividend Yield
    N/A
    ABBV: 4Ties: 2ULTA: 2
    ABBVULTA

    Historical Fundamentals

    Learn more →
    ABBV

    Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.

    ULTA

    Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.

    Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.

    $1 Retained Earnings Test

    Learn more →
    ABBV
    N/A
    Net losses over 3 years — test not applicable
    Company had negative cumulative retained earnings
    Σ Retained
    $-19.85B
    Δ Market Cap
    +$118.02B
    Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
    > $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer
    ULTA
    $0.88
    created per $1 retained over 3 years
    Mediocre Allocator
    Σ Retained
    $3.73B
    Δ Market Cap
    +$3.27B
    Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
    > $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer

    Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
    > $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer

    Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) Analysis

    Learn more →
    ABBV
    694.9% Overvalued
    Price is 694.9% above estimated fair value
    Current Price: $206.23
    Fair Value: $25.94
    Strongly undervalued
    Undervalued
    Fairly valued
    Overvalued
    Strongly overvalued
    ULTA
    17.1% Margin of Safety
    Price is 17.1% below estimated fair value
    Current Price: $534.10
    Fair Value: $644.58
    Strongly undervalued
    Undervalued
    Fairly valued
    Overvalued
    Strongly overvalued

    Reverse DCF — Market-Implied Growth

    Learn more →
    ABBV

    What growth rate is the market pricing in at $206?

    +30.1%
    Market-Implied Owner Earnings Growth
    Standard FCF implies +9.8%

    The market implies +30.1% Owner Earnings growth, above historical trends.

    Standard FCF implies a demanding +9.8%, reflecting heavy growth investment.

    ULTA

    What growth rate is the market pricing in at $534?

    +8.6%
    Market-Implied Owner Earnings Growth
    Standard FCF implies +12.5%

    The market implies +8.6% Owner Earnings growth, roughly in line with history — reasonably priced.

    Standard FCF implies +12.5%, reflecting ongoing growth investment.

    Economic Moat Score

    Learn more →
    ABBV
    83/100
    Wide Moat
    70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None

    Wide moat with strength across all dimensions. Reinvestment Efficiency is the standout factor.

    Composite score measuring competitive advantage durability across four dimensions: returns above cost of capital, pricing power stability, revenue predictability, and capital efficiency. Based on 4 years of fundamental data.
    ULTA
    89/100
    Wide Moat
    70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None

    Wide moat with strength across all dimensions. ROIC Consistency is the standout factor.

    Composite score measuring competitive advantage durability across four dimensions: returns above cost of capital, pricing power stability, revenue predictability, and capital efficiency. Based on 4 years of fundamental data.

    Forensic Accounting

    Learn more →
    ABBV
    -2.86
    Unlikely Manipulator
    Above -1.78 = likely manipulator · -2.22 to -1.78 = grey zone

    M-Score Trend

    Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.
    ULTA
    -2.56
    Unlikely Manipulator
    Above -1.78 = likely manipulator · -2.22 to -1.78 = grey zone

    M-Score Trend

    Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.

    Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.

    Ownership Breakdown

    Learn more →
    ABBV
    Insiders 0.1%Institutions 76.4%Retail & Other 23.5%
    No. of Institutional Holders5,086
    High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders — a key signal in Buffett-style analysis. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.
    ULTA
    Insiders 0.5%Institutions 100.2%
    No. of Institutional Holders1,581
    High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders — a key signal in Buffett-style analysis. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.

    High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.

    Insider Buying Activity

    Learn more →
    ABBV
    0
    Buys (3M)
    0
    Buys (12M)
    No open market insider purchases found.
    Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises
    ULTA
    0
    Buys (3M)
    0
    Buys (12M)
    STEELMAN KECIA
    Chief Executive Officer
    $499,528
    @ $346.89 · 2025-03-20
    Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises

    Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises.

    Insider Selling Activity

    Learn more →
    ABBV
    3
    Sells (3M)
    6
    Sells (12M)
    Total value (12M): $34.15M
    PURDUE DAVID R.
    Officer
    $1.22M
    @ $233.56 · 2026-03-04
    SIATIS PERRY C.
    General Counsel
    $4.38M
    @ $234.39 · 2026-03-02
    SIATIS PERRY C.
    General Counsel
    $5.15M
    @ $230.00 · 2026-02-25
    SALEKI-GERHARDT AZITA
    Chief Operating Officer
    $8.41M
    @ $198.42 · 2025-08-12
    DONOGHOE NICHOLAS
    Officer
    $2.64M
    @ $198.51 · 2025-08-05
    STEWART JEFFREY RYAN
    Officer
    $12.36M
    @ $210.08 · 2025-03-31
    REENTS SCOTT T.
    Chief Financial Officer
    $3.75M
    @ $212.34 · 2025-03-14
    SIATIS PERRY C.
    General Counsel
    $5.82M
    @ $208.69 · 2025-03-03
    GONZALEZ RICHARD A
    Director
    $20.26M
    @ $205.45 · 2025-03-03
    RICHMOND TIMOTHY J
    Officer
    $4.47M
    @ $210.45 · 2025-03-03
    BUCKBEE KEVIN K
    Officer
    $3.85M
    @ $203.41 · 2025-02-26
    RICHMOND TIMOTHY J
    Officer
    $6.07M
    @ $202.90 · 2025-02-26
    SIATIS PERRY C.
    General Counsel
    $1.14M
    @ $197.90 · 2025-02-20
    BUCKBEE KEVIN K
    Officer
    $310,032
    @ $172.24 · 2024-12-16
    GONZALEZ RICHARD A
    Officer and Director
    $12.40M
    @ $186.52 · 2024-08-05
    GONZALEZ RICHARD A
    Officer and Director
    $49.50M
    @ $175.00 · 2024-07-17
    Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives
    ULTA
    0
    Sells (3M)
    2
    Sells (12M)
    Total value (12M): $597,199
    SMITH MICHAEL C
    Director
    $264,215
    @ $528.43 · 2025-09-04
    CARO JODI J
    General Counsel
    $332,984
    @ $369.16 · 2025-04-01
    HALLIGAN CATHERINE ANN
    Director
    $39,008
    @ $390.08 · 2024-07-02
    CARO JODI J
    General Counsel
    $252,639
    @ $388.68 · 2024-06-25
    MRKONIC GEORGE R JR
    Director
    $154,568
    @ $389.34 · 2024-06-04
    Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives

    Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives.

    🎭 Mr. Market's Mood

    Learn more →
    ABBV
    FearGreed
    😐Neutral(45/100)

    "Market is pricing this stock without strong emotion in either direction"

    Composite sentiment score based on 6 market signals. Inspired by Buffett's "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.
    ULTA
    FearGreed
    😨Fear(28/100)

    "Market is pessimistic — investigate whether fears are temporary or structural"

    Composite sentiment score based on 6 market signals. Inspired by Buffett's "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.

    Composite sentiment score based on market signals. Inspired by Buffett’s "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.

    ⚖️ Buffett Signal

    Learn more →
    ABBV
    ⚪Awaiting DCF Data

    The Buffett Signal cross-references market sentiment with DCF valuation. Configure the DCF Analysis above to generate a signal.

    DCF Margin of Safety: N/AMr. Market's Mood: Neutral (45)
    ULTA
    ⚪Awaiting DCF Data

    The Buffett Signal cross-references market sentiment with DCF valuation. Configure the DCF Analysis above to generate a signal.

    DCF Margin of Safety: N/AMr. Market's Mood: Fear (28)
    View ABBV Full AnalysisView ULTA Full Analysis