Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ:ULTA) Posts Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.08 EPS

Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ:ULTA) announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The specialty retailer reported $8.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $7.93 by $0.08, FiscalAI reports. Ulta Beauty had a return on equity of 46.33% and a net margin of 9.93%.The firm had revenue of $3.90 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.81 billion. Ulta Beauty updated its FY 2026 guidance to 28.050-28.550 EPS.

Ulta Beauty Trading Down 4.3%

ULTA traded down $27.95 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $624.70. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 1,384,786 shares, compared to its average volume of 546,115. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $666.89 and a 200 day simple moving average of $586.51. The firm has a market capitalization of $27.71 billion, a PE ratio of 23.95, a PEG ratio of 3.02 and a beta of 0.82. Ulta Beauty has a fifty-two week low of $309.01 and a fifty-two week high of $714.97.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on ULTA shares. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on shares of Ulta Beauty in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. They set a “hold” rating and a $700.00 price objective for the company. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Ulta Beauty from $450.00 to $500.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research report on Monday. Oppenheimer boosted their price objective on Ulta Beauty from $675.00 to $750.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. B. Riley Financial reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Ulta Beauty in a research report on Monday, December 8th. Finally, William Blair reiterated a “market perform” rating on shares of Ulta Beauty in a research note on Monday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Ulta Beauty presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $638.12.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Virtus Advisers LLC bought a new position in Ulta Beauty during the 4th quarter valued at $33,000. BOKF NA bought a new stake in shares of Ulta Beauty in the 3rd quarter worth $31,000. Greenline Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Ulta Beauty in the fourth quarter valued at $37,000. DV Equities LLC bought a new position in Ulta Beauty during the fourth quarter valued at about $38,000. Finally, Resources Management Corp CT ADV bought a new position in Ulta Beauty during the fourth quarter valued at about $50,000. 90.39% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Ulta Beauty

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst bullishness and price-target increases from major shops signal upside potential; Telsey raised its target to $715 and Wells Fargo to $500, while Barclays and Canaccord also published favorable outlooks—these upgrades can support the stock if earnings or guidance show resilience. Article Title Read More. Read More. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Selena Gomez brand launch is a near-term sales catalyst—industry previews and retail commentary expect the partnership to boost Q4 sales and traffic, which could offset softer comps if conversion and ASPs hold. Article Title Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Promotional cadence (Ulta’s “21 Days of Beauty” sale) can lift near-term sales and traffic — a positive for Q4 revenue and margin leverage if higher-margin items sell well. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Several earnings previews outline consensus expectations (EPS ~$8.03; revenue ~$3.82B) and key metrics to watch (comp sales, margin, guidance). Actual results/guidance will determine direction. Article Title Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry/consumer macro notes (CPI, jobless claims) and market moves could influence sentiment around discretionary names like ULTA but aren’t Ulta-specific; monitor consumer spending data post-earnings. Article Title Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Adjacent retail/brand moves (Keracolor expansion) signal category competition and broader beauty retail dynamics but are unlikely to move ULTA materially on their own. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Some analysts revised forecasts lower ahead of the Q4 report and Benzinga flagged expectations for lower Q4 earnings; a miss on EPS, revenue, comps or weak guidance would weigh on the stock. Article Title

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.