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

by · The Cerbat Gem

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 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $494.93. 936,154 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 675,259. The firm has a market cap of $21.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 0.86. Ulta Beauty has a 12-month low of $452.00 and a 12-month high of $714.97. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $525.01 and a 200 day moving average of $585.92.

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Oppenheimer reduced their price objective on shares of Ulta Beauty from $750.00 to $650.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, March 13th. Evercore set a $725.00 target price on Ulta Beauty in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded Ulta Beauty from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their price target for the company from $635.00 to $700.00 in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Telsey Advisory Group lifted their price target on Ulta Beauty from $640.00 to $715.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, March 9th. Finally, TD Cowen assumed coverage on Ulta Beauty in a research report on Monday, April 20th. They set a “buy” rating for the company. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have issued a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Ulta Beauty has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $687.95.

Get Our Latest Analysis on ULTA

Insider Activity

In other Ulta Beauty news, Director George R. Mrkonic, Jr. sold 452 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $539.29, for a total transaction of $243,759.08. Following the transaction, the director owned 2,383 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,285,128.07. This trade represents a 15.94% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.39% of the company’s stock.

Ulta Beauty News Summary

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 Investors Weigh In On Ulta Beauty

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Virtu Financial LLC acquired a new stake in Ulta Beauty during the 4th quarter worth $353,000. Compound Planning Inc. lifted its position in Ulta Beauty by 20.2% in the fourth quarter. Compound Planning Inc. now owns 638 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $386,000 after purchasing an additional 107 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. boosted its holdings in Ulta Beauty by 2.9% in the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 864,621 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $523,104,000 after purchasing an additional 24,238 shares in the last quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC increased its position in 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 purchasing an additional 219,075 shares during the period. Finally, Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV increased its position in Ulta Beauty by 8.5% during the 4th quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 35,404 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $21,420,000 after purchasing an additional 2,761 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.39% of the company’s stock.

About Ulta Beauty

(Get Free Report)

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.

Read More