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Side-by-side financial comparison of DARLING INGREDIENTS INC. (DAR) and Ulta Beauty (ULTA). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

Ulta Beauty is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($2.9B vs $1.6B, roughly 1.8× DARLING INGREDIENTS INC.). Ulta Beauty runs the higher net margin — 8.1% vs 1.2%, a 6.8% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Ulta Beauty posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (12.9% vs 10.0%). Over the past eight quarters, Ulta Beauty's revenue compounded faster (7.2% CAGR vs -1.6%).

Darling Ingredients Inc. is a global sustainable natural ingredients maker that converts edible and inedible organic byproducts into high-value products: food-grade nutritional ingredients, animal feed additives, pharmaceutical raw materials and biofuel components, serving food, agriculture, pharma and renewable energy markets across North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific.

Ulta Beauty, Inc., formerly known as Ulta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance Inc. and before 2000 as Ulta3, is an American chain of cosmetic stores headquartered in Bolingbrook, Illinois. Ulta Beauty carries both high- and low-end cosmetics, fragrances, nail products, bath and body products, beauty tools and haircare products. Each location has a beauty salon available to the public.

DAR vs ULTA — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
ULTA
ULTA
1.8× larger
ULTA
$2.9B
$1.6B
DAR
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
ULTA
ULTA
+3.0% gap
ULTA
12.9%
10.0%
DAR
Higher net margin
ULTA
ULTA
6.8% more per $
ULTA
8.1%
1.2%
DAR
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
ULTA
ULTA
Annualised
ULTA
7.2%
-1.6%
DAR

Income Statement — Q3 FY2025 vs Q3 FY2026

Metric
DAR
DAR
ULTA
ULTA
Revenue
$1.6B
$2.9B
Net Profit
$19.4M
$230.9M
Gross Margin
24.7%
40.4%
Operating Margin
4.6%
10.8%
Net Margin
1.2%
8.1%
Revenue YoY
10.0%
12.9%
Net Profit YoY
14.2%
-4.7%
EPS (diluted)
$0.12
$5.14

Green = leading value per metric. Periods may differ when fiscal calendars don't align.

8-Quarter Revenue & Profit Trend

Side-by-side quarterly history. Quarters aligned by calendar period so offset fiscal years line up.

Revenue
DAR
DAR
ULTA
ULTA
Q4 25
$2.9B
Q3 25
$1.6B
$2.8B
Q2 25
$1.5B
$2.8B
Q1 25
$1.4B
Q4 24
$1.4B
$2.5B
Q3 24
$1.4B
$2.6B
Q2 24
$1.5B
$2.7B
Q1 24
$1.4B
$3.6B
Net Profit
DAR
DAR
ULTA
ULTA
Q4 25
$230.9M
Q3 25
$19.4M
$260.9M
Q2 25
$12.7M
$305.1M
Q1 25
$-26.2M
Q4 24
$101.9M
$242.2M
Q3 24
$16.9M
$252.6M
Q2 24
$78.9M
$313.1M
Q1 24
$81.2M
$394.4M
Gross Margin
DAR
DAR
ULTA
ULTA
Q4 25
40.4%
Q3 25
24.7%
39.2%
Q2 25
23.3%
39.1%
Q1 25
22.6%
Q4 24
23.5%
39.7%
Q3 24
22.1%
38.3%
Q2 24
22.5%
39.2%
Q1 24
21.4%
37.7%
Operating Margin
DAR
DAR
ULTA
ULTA
Q4 25
10.8%
Q3 25
4.6%
12.4%
Q2 25
5.1%
14.1%
Q1 25
2.1%
Q4 24
8.6%
12.6%
Q3 24
4.2%
12.9%
Q2 24
10.2%
14.7%
Q1 24
9.7%
14.5%
Net Margin
DAR
DAR
ULTA
ULTA
Q4 25
8.1%
Q3 25
1.2%
9.4%
Q2 25
0.9%
10.7%
Q1 25
-1.9%
Q4 24
7.2%
9.6%
Q3 24
1.2%
9.9%
Q2 24
5.4%
11.5%
Q1 24
5.7%
11.1%
EPS (diluted)
DAR
DAR
ULTA
ULTA
Q4 25
$5.14
Q3 25
$0.12
$5.78
Q2 25
$0.08
$6.70
Q1 25
$-0.16
Q4 24
$0.63
$5.14
Q3 24
$0.11
$5.30
Q2 24
$0.49
$6.47
Q1 24
$0.50
$8.06

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.

Metric
DAR
DAR
ULTA
ULTA
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$91.5M
$204.9M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$4.0B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$4.7B
$2.6B
Total Assets
$10.5B
$7.0B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.86×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
DAR
DAR
ULTA
ULTA
Q4 25
$204.9M
Q3 25
$91.5M
$242.7M
Q2 25
$94.6M
$454.6M
Q1 25
$81.5M
Q4 24
$76.0M
$177.8M
Q3 24
$114.8M
$414.0M
Q2 24
$121.6M
$524.6M
Q1 24
$145.5M
$766.6M
Total Debt
DAR
DAR
ULTA
ULTA
Q4 25
Q3 25
$4.0B
Q2 25
$3.9B
Q1 25
$3.8B
Q4 24
$3.9B
Q3 24
$4.1B
Q2 24
$4.3B
Q1 24
$4.4B
Stockholders' Equity
DAR
DAR
ULTA
ULTA
Q4 25
$2.6B
Q3 25
$4.7B
$2.6B
Q2 25
$4.6B
$2.4B
Q1 25
$4.4B
Q4 24
$4.4B
$2.3B
Q3 24
$4.6B
$2.3B
Q2 24
$4.5B
$2.3B
Q1 24
$4.6B
$2.3B
Total Assets
DAR
DAR
ULTA
ULTA
Q4 25
$7.0B
Q3 25
$10.5B
$6.6B
Q2 25
$10.3B
$6.0B
Q1 25
$10.0B
Q4 24
$10.1B
$6.0B
Q3 24
$10.6B
$5.7B
Q2 24
$10.6B
$5.6B
Q1 24
$10.9B
$5.7B
Debt / Equity
DAR
DAR
ULTA
ULTA
Q4 25
Q3 25
0.86×
Q2 25
0.85×
Q1 25
0.86×
Q4 24
0.89×
Q3 24
0.91×
Q2 24
0.97×
Q1 24
0.95×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

How much cash each business actually produces after reinvestment. Cash flow is harder to manipulate than net income.

Metric
DAR
DAR
ULTA
ULTA
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$224.3M
$5.6M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$-81.6M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
-2.9%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
3.1%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
11.59×
0.02×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$-92.2M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
DAR
DAR
ULTA
ULTA
Q4 25
$5.6M
Q3 25
$224.3M
$96.5M
Q2 25
$145.8M
$220.0M
Q1 25
$249.0M
Q4 24
$154.4M
$-56.8M
Q3 24
$274.5M
$199.5M
Q2 24
$146.5M
$159.3M
Q1 24
$263.9M
$1.1B
Free Cash Flow
DAR
DAR
ULTA
ULTA
Q4 25
$-81.6M
Q3 25
$19.6M
Q2 25
$141.0M
Q1 25
Q4 24
$-171.1M
Q3 24
$104.3M
Q2 24
$68.3M
Q1 24
$994.0M
FCF Margin
DAR
DAR
ULTA
ULTA
Q4 25
-2.9%
Q3 25
0.7%
Q2 25
4.9%
Q1 25
Q4 24
-6.8%
Q3 24
4.1%
Q2 24
2.5%
Q1 24
28.0%
Capex Intensity
DAR
DAR
ULTA
ULTA
Q4 25
3.1%
Q3 25
2.8%
Q2 25
2.8%
Q1 25
Q4 24
4.5%
Q3 24
3.7%
Q2 24
3.3%
Q1 24
3.5%
Cash Conversion
DAR
DAR
ULTA
ULTA
Q4 25
0.02×
Q3 25
11.59×
0.37×
Q2 25
11.52×
0.72×
Q1 25
Q4 24
1.52×
-0.23×
Q3 24
16.19×
0.79×
Q2 24
1.86×
0.51×
Q1 24
3.25×
2.84×

Financial Flow Comparison

Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

DAR
DAR

Fats$428.4M27%
Food Ingredients$380.6M24%
Diamond Green Diesel Holdings Llc Joint Venture$342.1M22%
Fuel Ingredients$154.3M10%
Used Cooking Oil$125.9M8%
Other Rendering$76.9M5%
Bakery$46.9M3%
Other Products And Services$12.2M1%

ULTA
ULTA

Segment breakdown not available.

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