COMPARE · Reviewed July 28, 2026
FIVE vs ULTA
Verdict: Side-by-side breakdown using the Bull Rankings model. FIVE scored 78.2, ULTA scored 75.2 — FIVE leads.
Compare another set
FIVE
Five Below, Inc.
78.2
$207.99 · $11.5B
fundamentals as of
Score gap
3.0
FIVE leads
ULTA
Ulta Beauty, Inc.
75.2
$501.52 · $21.6B
fundamentals as of
The model, pillar by pillar (0–100 each)
FIVE
stronger →← stronger
ULTA
73
Qualityreturns · margins · balance sheet
84
99
Growthrevenue & earnings expansion
86
66
Valuevaluation vs sector peers
59
FIVE is stronger on 2 of 3 pillars.
Fundamentals, head-to-head
FIVE
ULTA
$505mC+
FCF
$1.1bC+
+25.9%A-
Rev
+11.3%B
0.86B
D/E
0.89B
26.1xB
P/E
18.8xB+
0.98B+
PEG
1.67C+
Winner per row is the stronger grade in our model; a tie or a missing value shows no highlight.
Valuation · DCF cross-check
FIVE
ULTA
41% above
Price vs fair valuelower is cheaper
1% below
~14%/yr
Growth the price implies10-yr FCF · lower = less priced in
~7%/yr
-33%
1-yr DCF upside
-8%
-29%
5-yr DCF upside
+1%
-23%
10-yr DCF upside
+17%
The DCF is a cross-check on intrinsic value, separate from the quality-growth score above.
Model signals
FIVE
Why this score
- Durable high returns
ULTA
Why this score
- Buying back stock
- Durable high returns
The companies
FIVEFive Below, Inc.
Why now
Specialty Retail · market cap $11.5b. 17% off the 52-week high of $251.63. Revenue growing +26% — in hypergrowth territory. PEG 0.98 — paying under fair value for the growth rate. 21 sell-side analysts rate this a Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $260.48 (implying +25% upside).
Moat
ROE 19% sits above Buffett's preferred 15% threshold — the equity base is compounding at a rate the market struggles to discount accurately. FCF converts 115% of net income — earnings translate cleanly into cash, a sign that working capital and capex are well-disciplined.
Risk
Value re-rating depends on a catalyst. Without one — analyst day, divestiture, margin recovery, capital return — the stock can stay cheap on these multiples for years.
ULTAUlta Beauty, Inc.
Why now
Specialty Retail · market cap $21.6b. Down 30% from 52-week high of $714.97 — deep drawdown territory. Revenue growing +11%, comfortably above the S&P median. 24 sell-side analysts rate this a Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $623.42 (implying +24% upside).
Moat
ROE 46% — top-decile capital efficiency. Either pricing leverage, low capital intensity, or aggressive buybacks; the durability story depends on which. FCF converts 95% of net income — earnings translate cleanly into cash, a sign that working capital and capex are well-disciplined.
Risk
Mature compounder — the risk is paying up for quality at a moment when growth is decelerating. Watch for sequential revenue + margin trends; the inflection from "compounder" to "ex-compounder" is hard to spot until the multiple already started compressing.
Verdict — model-derived comparison
Generating verdict… typically 5–10 seconds
Not investment advice. The Bull Rankings publishes a quantitative ranking model and accompanying analysis for general informational purposes only. Nothing on this page is a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security; nothing is personalized to your circumstances, risk tolerance, or tax situation. Investing carries the risk of loss — invest at your own risk and consider consulting a licensed financial professional before acting on anything you read here. See terms and methodology for full disclosures.