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

Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ:ULTA) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided EPS guidance of 28.700-29.000 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of 26.210. The company issued revenue guidance of $13.2 billion-$13.3 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $12.5 billion.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

ULTA has been the subject of several analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price target on shares of Ulta Beauty from $741.00 to $652.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Loop Capital reaffirmed a “hold” rating and issued a $550.00 price target on shares of Ulta Beauty in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. DA Davidson lowered their price target on Ulta Beauty from $650.00 to $585.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Piper Sandler cut their price objective on Ulta Beauty from $725.00 to $600.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Finally, William Blair restated a “market perform” rating on shares of Ulta Beauty in a research report on Friday, August 21st. One 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 company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $636.41.

Ulta Beauty Price Performance

NASDAQ ULTA traded down $3.09 on Thursday, reaching $540.10. 1,080,054 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 690,822. The stock has a market cap of $23.22 billion, a PE ratio of 20.25, a P/E/G ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 0.87. Ulta Beauty has a 12 month low of $443.60 and a 12 month high of $714.97. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $494.65 and a 200 day simple moving average of $535.92.

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, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.89 by $0.85. The company had revenue of $3.16 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.12 billion. Ulta Beauty had a net margin of 9.36% and a return on equity of 44.77%. The firm’s revenue was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $6.70 EPS. Ulta Beauty has set its FY 2026 guidance at 28.360-28.800 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Ulta Beauty will post 28.76 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Ulta Beauty news, Director George R. Mrkonic, Jr. sold 383 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $475.84, for a total value of $182,246.72. Following the transaction, the director owned 2,404 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,143,919.36. The trade was a 13.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.20% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Key Stories Impacting Ulta Beauty

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

• Positive Sentiment: Deutsche Bank expects Ulta’s fiscal second-quarter comparable-store sales to exceed consensus estimates, offering a potential catalyst if confirmed in the earnings report. Ulta Beauty Second-Quarter Same-Store Sales Poised for Beat
• Positive Sentiment: Ulta has exceeded Wall Street’s EPS estimates for four consecutive quarters. Analysts remain constructive despite the recent decline, and the stock is trading roughly 17% below published price targets, suggesting potential upside if results and guidance are solid. Ulta Beauty Earnings Preview
• Positive Sentiment: The retailer is broadening its assortment with The Potion Studio’s climate-adaptive hair-care products and Bio Ionic’s limited-edition styling tools. It also appointed retail executive Brieane L. Olson to its board, potentially adding useful industry experience. Ulta Beauty Products and Director Appointment

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Virtu Financial LLC purchased a new stake in Ulta Beauty in the fourth quarter worth $353,000. Compound Planning Inc. increased its position in Ulta Beauty by 20.2% during the 4th 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. raised 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 worth $523,104,000 after purchasing an additional 24,238 shares in the last quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC raised its holdings in Ulta Beauty by 1,837.4% in 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV lifted its position in shares of Ulta Beauty by 8.5% in 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. Institutional investors own 90.39% of the company’s stock.

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.