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Side-by-side financial comparison of Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) and Ulta Beauty (ULTA). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

Intercontinental Exchange is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($3.1B vs $2.9B, roughly 1.1× Ulta Beauty). Intercontinental Exchange runs the higher net margin — 27.1% vs 8.1%, a 19.0% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Ulta Beauty posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (12.9% vs 3.7%). Intercontinental Exchange produced more free cash flow last quarter ($1.1B vs $-81.6M). Over the past eight quarters, Ulta Beauty's revenue compounded faster (7.2% CAGR vs 5.9%).

Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (ICE) is an American multinational financial services company formed in 2000 that operates global financial exchanges and clearing houses and provides mortgage technology, data and listing services. Listed on the Fortune 500, S&P 500, and Russell 1000, the company owns exchanges for financial and commodity markets, and operates 12 regulated exchanges and marketplaces. This includes ICE futures exchanges in the United States, Canada, and Europe; the Liffe future...

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.

ICE vs ULTA — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
ICE
ICE
1.1× larger
ICE
$3.1B
$2.9B
ULTA
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
ULTA
ULTA
+9.2% gap
ULTA
12.9%
3.7%
ICE
Higher net margin
ICE
ICE
19.0% more per $
ICE
27.1%
8.1%
ULTA
More free cash flow
ICE
ICE
$1.2B more FCF
ICE
$1.1B
$-81.6M
ULTA
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
ULTA
ULTA
Annualised
ULTA
7.2%
5.9%
ICE

Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q3 FY2026

Metric
ICE
ICE
ULTA
ULTA
Revenue
$3.1B
$2.9B
Net Profit
$851.0M
$230.9M
Gross Margin
40.4%
Operating Margin
39.4%
10.8%
Net Margin
27.1%
8.1%
Revenue YoY
3.7%
12.9%
Net Profit YoY
21.9%
-4.7%
EPS (diluted)
$1.49
$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
ICE
ICE
ULTA
ULTA
Q4 25
$3.1B
$2.9B
Q3 25
$3.0B
$2.8B
Q2 25
$3.3B
$2.8B
Q1 25
$3.2B
Q4 24
$3.0B
$2.5B
Q3 24
$3.0B
$2.6B
Q2 24
$2.9B
$2.7B
Q1 24
$2.8B
$3.6B
Net Profit
ICE
ICE
ULTA
ULTA
Q4 25
$851.0M
$230.9M
Q3 25
$816.0M
$260.9M
Q2 25
$851.0M
$305.1M
Q1 25
$797.0M
Q4 24
$698.0M
$242.2M
Q3 24
$657.0M
$252.6M
Q2 24
$632.0M
$313.1M
Q1 24
$767.0M
$394.4M
Gross Margin
ICE
ICE
ULTA
ULTA
Q4 25
40.4%
Q3 25
39.2%
Q2 25
39.1%
Q1 25
Q4 24
39.7%
Q3 24
38.3%
Q2 24
39.2%
Q1 24
37.7%
Operating Margin
ICE
ICE
ULTA
ULTA
Q4 25
39.4%
10.8%
Q3 25
39.0%
12.4%
Q2 25
39.8%
14.1%
Q1 25
37.8%
Q4 24
35.5%
12.6%
Q3 24
36.4%
12.9%
Q2 24
36.8%
14.7%
Q1 24
38.0%
14.5%
Net Margin
ICE
ICE
ULTA
ULTA
Q4 25
27.1%
8.1%
Q3 25
27.1%
9.4%
Q2 25
26.1%
10.7%
Q1 25
24.7%
Q4 24
23.0%
9.6%
Q3 24
21.7%
9.9%
Q2 24
21.8%
11.5%
Q1 24
27.4%
11.1%
EPS (diluted)
ICE
ICE
ULTA
ULTA
Q4 25
$1.49
$5.14
Q3 25
$1.42
$5.78
Q2 25
$1.48
$6.70
Q1 25
$1.38
Q4 24
$1.21
$5.14
Q3 24
$1.14
$5.30
Q2 24
$1.10
$6.47
Q1 24
$1.33
$8.06

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
ICE
ICE
ULTA
ULTA
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$837.0M
$204.9M
Total DebtLower is stronger
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$28.9B
$2.6B
Total Assets
$136.9B
$7.0B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
ICE
ICE
ULTA
ULTA
Q4 25
$837.0M
$204.9M
Q3 25
$850.0M
$242.7M
Q2 25
$1.0B
$454.6M
Q1 25
$783.0M
Q4 24
$844.0M
$177.8M
Q3 24
$755.0M
$414.0M
Q2 24
$885.0M
$524.6M
Q1 24
$863.0M
$766.6M
Stockholders' Equity
ICE
ICE
ULTA
ULTA
Q4 25
$28.9B
$2.6B
Q3 25
$28.6B
$2.6B
Q2 25
$28.4B
$2.4B
Q1 25
$28.0B
Q4 24
$27.6B
$2.3B
Q3 24
$27.2B
$2.3B
Q2 24
$26.7B
$2.3B
Q1 24
$26.2B
$2.3B
Total Assets
ICE
ICE
ULTA
ULTA
Q4 25
$136.9B
$7.0B
Q3 25
$140.9B
$6.6B
Q2 25
$144.2B
$6.0B
Q1 25
$142.9B
Q4 24
$139.4B
$6.0B
Q3 24
$135.2B
$5.7B
Q2 24
$137.7B
$5.6B
Q1 24
$131.4B
$5.7B

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

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

Metric
ICE
ICE
ULTA
ULTA
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$1.3B
$5.6M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$1.1B
$-81.6M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
35.3%
-2.9%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
5.3%
3.1%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
1.50×
0.02×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$4.3B
$-92.2M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
ICE
ICE
ULTA
ULTA
Q4 25
$1.3B
$5.6M
Q3 25
$915.0M
$96.5M
Q2 25
$1.5B
$220.0M
Q1 25
$966.0M
Q4 24
$1.5B
$-56.8M
Q3 24
$898.0M
$199.5M
Q2 24
$1.2B
$159.3M
Q1 24
$1.0B
$1.1B
Free Cash Flow
ICE
ICE
ULTA
ULTA
Q4 25
$1.1B
$-81.6M
Q3 25
$853.0M
$19.6M
Q2 25
$1.4B
$141.0M
Q1 25
$881.0M
Q4 24
$1.3B
$-171.1M
Q3 24
$819.0M
$104.3M
Q2 24
$1.1B
$68.3M
Q1 24
$951.0M
$994.0M
FCF Margin
ICE
ICE
ULTA
ULTA
Q4 25
35.3%
-2.9%
Q3 25
28.4%
0.7%
Q2 25
44.3%
4.9%
Q1 25
27.3%
Q4 24
43.3%
-6.8%
Q3 24
27.0%
4.1%
Q2 24
38.7%
2.5%
Q1 24
34.0%
28.0%
Capex Intensity
ICE
ICE
ULTA
ULTA
Q4 25
5.3%
3.1%
Q3 25
2.1%
2.8%
Q2 25
1.8%
2.8%
Q1 25
2.6%
Q4 24
6.4%
4.5%
Q3 24
2.6%
3.7%
Q2 24
2.6%
3.3%
Q1 24
2.1%
3.5%
Cash Conversion
ICE
ICE
ULTA
ULTA
Q4 25
1.50×
0.02×
Q3 25
1.12×
0.37×
Q2 25
1.77×
0.72×
Q1 25
1.21×
Q4 24
2.16×
-0.23×
Q3 24
1.37×
0.79×
Q2 24
1.89×
0.51×
Q1 24
1.32×
2.84×

Financial Flow Comparison

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

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

ICE
ICE

Other$1.9B60%
Fixed Income Data And Analytics$318.0M10%
Exchange Data$266.0M8%
Origination Technology$188.0M6%
Financial Futures And Options$155.0M5%
Listings$125.0M4%
OT Cand Other Transactions$97.0M3%
Closing Solutions$60.0M2%
Fixed Income Execution$29.0M1%
Product And Service Net Interest Income$26.0M1%

ULTA
ULTA

Segment breakdown not available.

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