CG vs ULTA Comparison

Carlyle Group is one of the world's largest alternative-asset managers, with $474.1 billion in total AUM, including $332.0 billion in fee-earning AUM, at the end of September 2025. The company has three core business segments: global private equity, which includes its private equity, real estate, infrastructure, and natural resources offerings (with $163.5 billion in total AUM and $101.1 billion in fee-earning AUM), global credit ($208.5 billion/$167.2 billion), and investment/fund solutions, known as Carlyle AlphInvest ($102.1 billion/$63.7 billion). The firm primarily serves institutional investors and high-net-worth individuals. Carlyle operates through 29 offices across five continents, serving more than 3,100 active carry fund investors from 87 countries.

Ulta Beauty is the largest specialized beauty retailer in the US with about 1,500 freestanding stores. The firm offers cosmetics (39% of 2024 sales), fragrances (13%), skin care (23%), and hair care products (19%). It also has salon services, including hair, makeup, skin, and brow, that account for about 4% of its revenue and drive traffic. Outside of the US, Ulta acquired premium beauty retailer Space NK and its 83 stores in the UK and Ireland in 2025, is opening franchised stores in Mexico, and has formed a joint venture to expand into the Middle East. In addition, Ulta collects royalties through its Target partnership (set to end in 2026) and credit card revenue. Ulta was founded in 1990 and is based in Bolingbrook, Illinois.