KGC vs ULTA Comparison

Kinross Gold is a Canada-based gold producer, producing roughly 2.1 million gold equivalent ounces in 2024. The company had about a decade of gold reserves at the end of 2024. It operates mines in the Americas and West Africa after selling its low-cost Russian operations in 2022 in response to the invasion of Ukraine. The company has historically used acquisitions to fuel expansion into new regions and production growth. In 2022, Kinross purchased the Great Bear project in Canada. If developed as we think likely, it could produce an average of more than 500,000 ounces of gold per year for at least a decade, with its unit cash costs likely in the first quartile of the industry cost curve.

With more than 1,400 freestanding stores and 600 Target shop-in-shops, Ulta Beauty is the largest specialized beauty retailer in the US. The firm offers cosmetics (39% of 2024 sales), fragrances (13%), skin care (23%), and hair care products (19%). It also offers salon services, including hair, makeup, skin, and brow, that account for about 4% of its revenue and drive traffic. In addition, it collects royalties through its Target partnership and credit card revenue. Most standalone Ulta stores are approximately 10,000 square feet and are in suburban strip centers. The firm will soon open franchised stores in Mexico and has formed a joint venture to expand into the Middle East. Ulta was founded in 1990 and is based in Bolingbrook, Illinois.