Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ:ULTA) Releases FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Key Points

• Ulta Beauty raised its FY 2026 outlook, guiding for EPS of 28.36 to 28.80 and revenue of $13.1 billion to $13.3 billion, both above Wall Street estimates.
• The company also posted a strong quarterly beat, reporting $7.74 EPS and $3.16 billion in revenue versus expectations of $6.91 and $3.12 billion, respectively.
• Despite the upbeat results, ULTA shares fell 1.2% on the day and were trading below key moving averages, suggesting investor sentiment remained cautious.

Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ:ULTA - Get Free Report) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Tuesday morning. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 28.360-28.800 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 26.210. The company issued revenue guidance of $13.1 billion-$13.3 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $12.5 billion.

Ulta Beauty Trading Down 1.2%

ULTA traded down $5.84 on Tuesday, hitting $494.93. 936,154 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 675,259. Ulta Beauty has a twelve month low of $452.00 and a twelve month high of $714.97. The company has a market cap of $21.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 0.86. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $525.01 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $585.92.

Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ:ULTA - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, June 2nd. The specialty retailer reported $7.74 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.91 by $0.83. The firm had revenue of $3.16 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.12 billion. Ulta Beauty had a return on equity of 43.56% and a net margin of 9.31%.Ulta Beauty has set its FY 2026 guidance at 28.360-28.800 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Ulta Beauty will post 28.49 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently issued reports on ULTA. DA Davidson reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $650.00 price objective on shares of Ulta Beauty in a research report on Tuesday, April 14th. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed a "strong-buy" rating on shares of Ulta Beauty in a research report on Tuesday, March 10th. Telsey Advisory Group upped their price objective on Ulta Beauty from $640.00 to $715.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, March 9th. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $725.00 price objective (down from $775.00) on shares of Ulta Beauty in a research report on Friday, March 13th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised Ulta Beauty from a "strong sell" rating to an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, April 20th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have issued a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $687.95.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director George R. Mrkonic, Jr. sold 452 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $539.29, for a total value of $243,759.08. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 2,383 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,285,128.07. This represents a 15.94% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.39% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting Ulta Beauty

Here are the key news stories impacting Ulta Beauty this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Ulta beat first-quarter expectations, reporting EPS of $7.74 versus consensus of $6.91 and revenue of $3.16 billion versus estimates of $3.12 billion, which signals stronger-than-expected demand and profitability. View Press Release
• Positive Sentiment: The company said it remains highly profitable, with 9.31% net margin and 43.56% return on equity, which supports the case for durable earnings power.
• Neutral Sentiment: Ulta also announced its fiscal 2026 results and updated guidance, but the provided details do not include the new outlook ranges, so investors are waiting to judge whether management’s tone is conservative or encouraging. Ulta Beauty Announces First Quarter Fiscal 2026 Results and Updates Fiscal 2026 Guidance
• Neutral Sentiment: Heading into earnings, analysts were already looking for a solid quarter, with expectations around $3.08 billion in revenue and $6.87 EPS; the beat may help offset recent analyst caution and price-target chatter.
• Negative Sentiment: Shares had already been under pressure after a recent analyst price-target cut, and the stock is also trading below its key 50-day and 200-day moving averages, suggesting sentiment had weakened before the report.

Institutional Trading of Ulta Beauty

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Corient Private Wealth LLC raised its stake in shares of Ulta Beauty by 1,837.4% during the 4th quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 230,998 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $139,756,000 after buying an additional 219,075 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. raised its stake in shares of Ulta Beauty by 33.6% during the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 840,383 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $459,479,000 after buying an additional 211,485 shares in the last quarter. Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec raised its stake in shares of Ulta Beauty by 249.8% during the 3rd quarter. Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec now owns 295,833 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $161,747,000 after buying an additional 211,266 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Ulta Beauty by 76.6% during the 2nd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 477,504 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $222,794,000 after buying an additional 207,084 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Alyeska Investment Group L.P. raised its stake in shares of Ulta Beauty by 74.6% during the 3rd quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. now owns 456,613 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $249,653,000 after buying an additional 195,041 shares in the last quarter. 90.39% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ulta Beauty Company Profile

Ulta Beauty, Inc NASDAQ: ULTA is a U.S.-based specialty retailer and beauty services provider focused on cosmetics, fragrance, skin care, hair care, bath and body, and beauty tools. The company operates a dual-format business that combines brick-and-mortar retail stores with an e-commerce platform, offering a broad assortment of national, prestige and mass-market brands alongside its own private-label products. In many locations Ulta also provides full-service salon treatments, positioning the company as a one-stop destination for product discovery and in-store services.

The retailer's product mix spans color cosmetics, haircare and styling products, skin and body care, fragrance, and accessories, catering to a wide range of consumer preferences and price points.

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