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

Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ:ULTA) updated its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Tuesday. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 28.360-28.800 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share 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.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the stock. Oppenheimer lowered their price target on shares of Ulta Beauty from $750.00 to $650.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, March 13th. Wedbush began coverage on shares of Ulta Beauty in a report on Monday, April 20th. They issued an “outperform” rating for the company. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded shares of Ulta Beauty from a “strong sell” rating to an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, April 20th. William Blair reaffirmed a “market perform” rating on shares of Ulta Beauty in a report on Monday, March 9th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group upgraded Ulta Beauty from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their price target for the company from $635.00 to $700.00 in a research note on Monday, April 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have issued a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $687.95.

Ulta Beauty Stock Down 1.2%

ULTA stock opened at $494.87 on Wednesday. Ulta Beauty has a 52 week low of $452.00 and a 52 week high of $714.97. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $525.01 and a 200 day simple moving average of $585.92. The company has a market cap of $21.56 billion, a PE ratio of 19.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.86.

Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ:ULTA) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, June 2nd. The specialty retailer reported $7.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.89 by $0.85. Ulta Beauty had a net margin of 9.31% and a return on equity of 43.56%. The firm had revenue of $3.16 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.12 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $6.70 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. Ulta Beauty has set its FY 2026 guidance at 28.360-28.800 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Ulta Beauty will post 28.49 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director George R. Mrkonic, Jr. sold 452 shares of Ulta Beauty stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $539.29, for a total value of $243,759.08. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 2,383 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,285,128.07. This trade represents a 15.94% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.39% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Ulta Beauty

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

• Positive Sentiment: Ulta beat Q1 estimates with EPS of $7.74 versus about $6.89 expected, while revenue rose 11.1% year over year to $3.16 billion, topping forecasts. Ulta Beauty Announces First Quarter Fiscal 2026 Results and Updates Fiscal 2026 Guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Comparable sales grew 5.3%, showing healthy underlying demand and broad-based growth across channels and major categories, including higher-priced products. Ulta Beauty raises annual profit forecast on higher-priced product demand
• Positive Sentiment: The company raised its full-year fiscal 2026 profit and EPS outlook and boosted its share repurchase target to $1.5 billion, signaling management confidence and support for shareholder returns. Inflation-Weary Consumers Push Ulta To Double Down On Value
• Positive Sentiment: Margin improvement and disciplined execution on inventory and costs helped offset a tougher macro backdrop, reinforcing the view that the business is holding up well. ULTA Q1 Earnings Call Highlights Share Gains, Discipline
• Neutral Sentiment: Ulta also announced plans for a new flagship store in Times Square, underscoring growth ambitions, though this is more of a long-term strategic development than an immediate earnings driver. Ulta Beauty’s Heading to Times Square

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ulta Beauty

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. State Street Corp raised its holdings in shares of Ulta Beauty by 2.5% during the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 2,025,565 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $1,225,487,000 after buying an additional 50,305 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. boosted its stake in Ulta Beauty by 2.9% in the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 864,621 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $523,104,000 after buying an additional 24,238 shares in the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP grew its position in Ulta Beauty by 5.4% in the fourth quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 478,657 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $289,592,000 after acquiring an additional 24,451 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its position in Ulta Beauty by 76.6% in the second quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 477,504 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $222,794,000 after acquiring an additional 207,084 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Amundi raised its stake in Ulta Beauty by 5.6% during the fourth quarter. Amundi now owns 469,734 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $284,194,000 after acquiring an additional 24,971 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 90.39% of the company’s stock.

About Ulta Beauty

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.