SW vs. ULTA: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison

Updated on October 17, 2025

Here’s a clear look at SW and ULTA, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.

Company Profile

Symbol	SW	ULTA
Company Name	Smurfit Westrock Plc	Ulta Beauty, Inc.
Country	Ireland	United States
GICS Sector	Materials	Consumer Discretionary
GICS Industry	Containers & Packaging	Specialty Retail
Market Capitalization	22.61 billion USD	25.37 billion USD
Exchange	NYSE	NasdaqGS
Listing Date	June 17, 2008	October 25, 2007
Security Type	Common Stock	Common Stock

Historical Performance

This chart compares the performance of SW and ULTA by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period. Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.

SW vs. ULTA: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past one year.

Historical Performance at a Glance

Symbol	SW	ULTA
5-Day Price Return	3.39%	1.43%
13-Week Price Return	-8.34%	18.98%
26-Week Price Return	1.38%	53.85%
52-Week Price Return	-6.78%	52.92%
Month-to-Date Return	1.71%	3.49%
Year-to-Date Return	-19.61%	30.09%
10-Day Avg. Volume	4.59M	0.53M
3-Month Avg. Volume	4.02M	0.70M
3-Month Volatility	32.48%	30.00%
Beta	1.05	0.87

Profitability

Return on Equity (TTM)

SW

2.94%

Containers & Packaging Industry

Max: 36.99%
Q3: 19.86%
Median: 10.47%
Q1: 6.76%
Min: -0.20%

SW’s Return on Equity of 2.94% is in the lower quartile for the Containers & Packaging industry. This indicates a less efficient generation of profit from its equity base when compared to its competitors.

ULTA

48.78%

Specialty Retail Industry

Max: 64.63%
Q3: 37.13%
Median: 19.07%
Q1: 10.79%
Min: -16.66%

In the upper quartile for the Specialty Retail industry, ULTA’s Return on Equity of 48.78% signals a highly effective use of shareholder capital to drive profitability compared to most of its peers.

SW vs. ULTA: A comparison of their Return on Equity (TTM) against their respective Containers & Packaging and Specialty Retail industry benchmarks.

Net Profit Margin (TTM)

SW

1.18%

Containers & Packaging Industry

Max: 10.84%
Q3: 8.25%
Median: 4.91%
Q1: 3.65%
Min: -0.12%

Falling into the lower quartile for the Containers & Packaging industry, SW’s Net Profit Margin of 1.18% indicates weaker profitability. This means the company retains a smaller portion of each dollar in sales as profit compared to its competitors.

ULTA

10.51%

Specialty Retail Industry

Max: 21.04%
Q3: 10.99%
Median: 6.08%
Q1: 2.46%
Min: -4.37%

ULTA’s Net Profit Margin of 10.51% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Specialty Retail industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.

SW vs. ULTA: A comparison of their Net Profit Margin (TTM) against their respective Containers & Packaging and Specialty Retail industry benchmarks.

Operating Profit Margin (TTM)

SW

4.20%

Containers & Packaging Industry

Max: 22.03%
Q3: 13.09%
Median: 8.06%
Q1: 6.46%
Min: -0.07%

SW’s Operating Profit Margin of 4.20% is in the lower quartile for the Containers & Packaging industry. This indicates weaker profitability from core operations, which may stem from inefficiencies or competitive pressures on pricing.

ULTA

13.84%

Specialty Retail Industry

Max: 33.35%
Q3: 16.40%
Median: 9.28%
Q1: 4.05%
Min: -10.63%

ULTA’s Operating Profit Margin of 13.84% is around the midpoint for the Specialty Retail industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.

SW vs. ULTA: A comparison of their Operating Profit Margin (TTM) against their respective Containers & Packaging and Specialty Retail industry benchmarks.

Profitability at a Glance

Symbol	SW	ULTA
Return on Equity (TTM)	2.94%	48.78%
Return on Assets (TTM)	1.17%	19.55%
Net Profit Margin (TTM)	1.18%	10.51%
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)	4.20%	13.84%
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)	19.46%	38.79%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

SW

1.45

Containers & Packaging Industry

Max: 1.96
Q3: 1.45
Median: 1.33
Q1: 1.09
Min: 0.87

SW’s Current Ratio of 1.45 aligns with the median group of the Containers & Packaging industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.

ULTA

1.39

Specialty Retail Industry

Max: 2.72
Q3: 1.81
Median: 1.38
Q1: 1.15
Min: 0.52

ULTA’s Current Ratio of 1.39 aligns with the median group of the Specialty Retail industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.

SW vs. ULTA: A comparison of their Current Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Containers & Packaging and Specialty Retail industry benchmarks.

Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)

SW

0.79

Containers & Packaging Industry

Max: 4.15
Q3: 2.03
Median: 1.20
Q1: 0.53
Min: 0.23

SW’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.79 is typical for the Containers & Packaging industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.

ULTA

0.11

Specialty Retail Industry

Max: 3.44
Q3: 1.57
Median: 0.60
Q1: 0.22
Min: 0.00

Falling into the lower quartile for the Specialty Retail industry, ULTA’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.11 points to a conservative financing strategy. This results in lower financial risk but potentially limits strategic investments compared to more leveraged competitors.

SW vs. ULTA: A comparison of their Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Containers & Packaging and Specialty Retail industry benchmarks.

Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)

SW

2.41

Containers & Packaging Industry

Max: 13.16
Q3: 8.10
Median: 3.38
Q1: 2.83
Min: 1.06

In the lower quartile for the Containers & Packaging industry, SW’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 2.41 indicates a tighter cushion for servicing debt, suggesting less financial flexibility than many of its competitors.

ULTA

649.00

Specialty Retail Industry

Max: 48.12
Q3: 39.12
Median: 14.13
Q1: 3.63
Min: -36.00

With an Interest Coverage Ratio of 649.00, ULTA demonstrates a superior capacity to service its debt, placing it well above the typical range for the Specialty Retail industry. This stems from either robust earnings or a conservative debt load.

SW vs. ULTA: A comparison of their Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) against their respective Containers & Packaging and Specialty Retail industry benchmarks.

Financial Strength at a Glance

Symbol	SW	ULTA
Current Ratio (MRQ)	1.45	1.39
Quick Ratio (MRQ)	0.95	0.21
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)	0.79	0.11
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)	2.41	649.00

Growth

Revenue Growth

SW vs. ULTA: A side-by-side comparison of their Revenue Growth for the MRQ (YoY), TTM (YoY), 3-Year CAGR, and 5-Year CAGR periods.

EPS Growth

SW vs. ULTA: A side-by-side comparison of their EPS Growth for the MRQ (YoY), TTM (YoY), 3-Year CAGR, and 5-Year CAGR periods.

Dividend

Dividend Yield (TTM)

SW

3.39%

Containers & Packaging Industry

Max: 7.14%
Q3: 4.65%
Median: 3.69%
Q1: 2.00%
Min: 0.00%

SW’s Dividend Yield of 3.39% is consistent with its peers in the Containers & Packaging industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.

ULTA

0.00%

Specialty Retail Industry

Max: 6.48%
Q3: 2.84%
Median: 1.04%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

ULTA currently does not pay a dividend, resulting in a yield of 0%. This is a common strategy for growth-focused companies that prioritize reinvesting earnings, though it may be less typical in mature, income-oriented sectors.

SW vs. ULTA: A comparison of their Dividend Yield (TTM) against their respective Containers & Packaging and Specialty Retail industry benchmarks.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

SW

85.87%

Containers & Packaging Industry

Max: 222.75%
Q3: 132.16%
Median: 65.79%
Q1: 28.53%
Min: 0.00%

SW’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 85.87% is within the typical range for the Containers & Packaging industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.

ULTA

0.00%

Specialty Retail Industry

Max: 192.64%
Q3: 79.43%
Median: 26.55%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

ULTA has a Dividend Payout Ratio of 0%, indicating it does not currently pay a dividend. This is a common strategy for growth-oriented companies that reinvest all profits back into the business.

SW vs. ULTA: A comparison of their Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) against their respective Containers & Packaging and Specialty Retail industry benchmarks.

Dividend at a Glance

Symbol	SW	ULTA
Dividend Yield (TTM)	3.39%	0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	85.87%	0.00%

Valuation

Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)

SW

42.93

Containers & Packaging Industry

Max: 24.22
Q3: 20.28
Median: 17.07
Q1: 15.06
Min: 7.79

At 42.93, SW’s P/E Ratio is exceptionally high, exceeding the typical maximum for the Containers & Packaging industry. This suggests the stock may be significantly overvalued compared to its peers and implies high market expectations that could be difficult to meet.

ULTA

21.33

Specialty Retail Industry

Max: 47.04
Q3: 27.74
Median: 23.51
Q1: 13.77
Min: 7.47

ULTA’s P/E Ratio of 21.33 is within the middle range for the Specialty Retail industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.

SW vs. ULTA: A comparison of their Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) against their respective Containers & Packaging and Specialty Retail industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)

SW

0.51

Containers & Packaging Industry

Max: 1.99
Q3: 1.17
Median: 0.94
Q1: 0.55
Min: 0.31

In the lower quartile for the Containers & Packaging industry, SW’s P/S Ratio of 0.51 indicates its revenue is valued more conservatively than most of its peers. This could present a compelling opportunity if the market has overlooked its sales-generating capabilities.

ULTA

2.81

Specialty Retail Industry

Max: 5.77
Q3: 2.79
Median: 1.21
Q1: 0.53
Min: 0.09

ULTA’s P/S Ratio of 2.81 is in the upper echelon for the Specialty Retail industry. This means the company is valued richly on its revenue stream compared to its peers, suggesting the stock is priced for a high level of future performance.

SW vs. ULTA: A comparison of their Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) against their respective Containers & Packaging and Specialty Retail industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)

SW

1.23

Containers & Packaging Industry

Max: 4.79
Q3: 3.32
Median: 2.14
Q1: 1.60
Min: 0.89

SW’s P/B Ratio of 1.23 is in the lower quartile for the Containers & Packaging industry. From a value investing perspective, this is favorable, as it suggests the stock is trading at a discount to its net asset value and may offer a greater margin of safety.

ULTA

8.89

Specialty Retail Industry

Max: 16.93
Q3: 7.92
Median: 3.98
Q1: 1.86
Min: 0.55

ULTA’s P/B Ratio of 8.89 is in the upper tier for the Specialty Retail industry. This indicates that investors are paying a premium relative to the company’s net assets, a valuation that hinges on its ability to generate superior profits.

SW vs. ULTA: A comparison of their Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Containers & Packaging and Specialty Retail industry benchmarks.

Valuation at a Glance

Symbol	SW	ULTA
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)	42.93	21.33
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)	0.51	2.81
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)	1.23	8.89
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM)	43.42	22.81