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

Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ:ULTA) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 28.700-29.000 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share 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.

Ulta Beauty Trading Down 0.6%

Shares of NASDAQ ULTA opened at $540.10 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $23.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.25, a P/E/G ratio of 1.69 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 moving average of $496.33 and a 200-day moving average of $534.86.

Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ:ULTA) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 27th. The specialty retailer reported $6.55 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.20 by $0.35. Ulta Beauty had a return on equity of 44.77% and a net margin of 9.36%.The business had revenue of $3.04 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.99 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $5.78 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.9% on a year-over-year basis. Ulta Beauty has set its FY 2026 guidance at 28.700-29.000 EPS. Analysts predict that Ulta Beauty will post 28.77 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have commented on ULTA shares. Robert W. Baird decreased their price objective on shares of Ulta Beauty from $730.00 to $700.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on shares of Ulta Beauty from $475.00 to $450.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. Barclays reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of Ulta Beauty in a report on Friday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price target on shares of Ulta Beauty from $692.00 to $695.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, DA Davidson lowered their price target on shares of Ulta Beauty from $650.00 to $585.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have assigned a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $631.86.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Ulta Beauty news, Director George R. Mrkonic, Jr. sold 383 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $475.84, for a total transaction of $182,246.72. Following the transaction, the director owned 2,404 shares in the company, valued at $1,143,919.36. This trade represents a 13.74% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.20% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting Ulta Beauty

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

• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly results exceeded expectations. Ulta reported adjusted earnings of $6.55 per share, above the roughly $6.18–$6.21 consensus, while revenue rose 8.9% year over year to approximately $3.0 billion, also topping estimates. EPS increased 13.3% from $5.78 a year earlier. Ulta Beauty raises annual forecast after quarterly profit beats estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Full-year guidance was raised. Management now expects fiscal 2026 EPS of $28.70–$29.00, up from $28.36–$28.80, and revenue of $13.2–$13.3 billion. The increased outlook reflects continued beauty demand, marketing and product investments, and growth initiatives including international expansion. Ulta Beauty Raises Forecast as Sales Grow
• Neutral Sentiment: Underlying sales growth was solid but not explosive. Comparable sales increased 3.8%, driven primarily by a higher average ticket, while transaction growth was roughly flat. This suggests customers are spending more per visit, but traffic and purchasing frequency remain areas investors may monitor.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains broadly favorable, with Ulta carrying an average “Moderate Buy” rating and a reported median price target of $635. However, the wide range of targets indicates uncertainty about the retailer’s growth trajectory and valuation. Ulta Beauty Given Average Rating of Moderate Buy
• Negative Sentiment: Competition and consumer fatigue remain concerns. Management highlighted intensifying competition, while Target is expanding its own prestige beauty offering after its relationship with Ulta ended. Investors may worry that promotional pressure or weaker discretionary spending could limit future comparable-sales and margin gains. Ulta Beauty continues to outperform despite signs of consumer fatigue
• Negative Sentiment: The post-earnings reaction indicates that strong headline results and raised guidance were already anticipated, leaving limited room for upside surprises. Profit-taking and concerns about demand quality likely outweighed the earnings beat in the near term. Ulta Beauty Shares Slide Despite Strong Q2 Earnings Beat and Raised Guidance

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ulta Beauty

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of ULTA. Virtu Financial LLC bought a new stake in Ulta Beauty in the 4th quarter valued at about $353,000. Compound Planning Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Ulta Beauty by 20.2% during the fourth quarter. Compound Planning Inc. now owns 638 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $386,000 after purchasing an additional 107 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Ulta Beauty by 2.9% during the fourth 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 during the period. Corient Private Wealth LLC raised its position in shares of Ulta Beauty by 1,837.4% in the fourth quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 230,998 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $139,756,000 after buying an additional 219,075 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV raised its position in shares of Ulta Beauty by 8.5% in the fourth quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 35,404 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $21,420,000 after buying an additional 2,761 shares in the last quarter. 90.39% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.