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

Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ:ULTA) updated its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Tuesday. 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.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on ULTA. Telsey Advisory Group lifted their price target on shares of Ulta Beauty from $640.00 to $715.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, March 9th. Raymond James Financial reissued a “strong-buy” rating on shares of Ulta Beauty in a research report on Tuesday, March 10th. UBS Group reduced their price target on shares of Ulta Beauty from $810.00 to $735.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on shares of Ulta Beauty from $475.00 to $450.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Barclays cut their price objective on shares of Ulta Beauty from $712.00 to $647.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have given a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $651.27.

Ulta Beauty Trading Down 4.8%

Shares of ULTA stock opened at $471.21 on Thursday. Ulta Beauty has a 1 year low of $452.00 and a 1 year high of $714.97. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $523.41 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $585.19. The firm has a market capitalization of $20.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.67, a PEG ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 0.86.

Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ:ULTA) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, June 2nd. The specialty retailer reported $7.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.89 by $0.85. Ulta Beauty had a net margin of 9.36% and a return on equity of 43.71%. The firm had revenue of $3.16 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.12 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $6.70 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Ulta Beauty has set its FY 2026 guidance at 28.360-28.800 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Ulta Beauty will post 28.49 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Ulta Beauty

In related news, Director George R. Mrkonic, Jr. sold 452 shares of Ulta Beauty stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $539.29, for a total transaction of $243,759.08. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 2,383 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,285,128.07. The trade was a 15.94% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

Ulta Beauty News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Ulta beat fiscal Q1 expectations on both earnings and revenue, with EPS of $7.74 and sales of $3.16 billion, while comparable sales rose 5.3% and revenue increased 11.1% year over year. Ulta Beauty Announces First Quarter Fiscal 2026 Results and Updates Fiscal 2026 Guidance
• Positive Sentiment: The company raised its FY2026 earnings outlook to $28.36-$28.80 per share and reiterated strong full-year revenue expectations, signaling continued profitability despite a tougher consumer backdrop. Ulta Beauty raises annual profit forecast on higher-priced product demand
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple firms lifted or reaffirmed bullish views, including Robert W. Baird at $700, Barclays at $647, and JPMorgan at $631, reflecting confidence in Ulta’s growth and margin profile. Ulta Beauty Given New $700.00 Price Target at Robert W. Baird
• Neutral Sentiment: Ulta announced a major Times Square flagship lease and a new Klarna partnership for flexible payments, both of which support brand visibility and e-commerce convenience but are unlikely to affect near-term earnings immediately. Klarna and Ulta Beauty Partner to Bring Flexible Payments to U.S. Beauty Shoppers
• Neutral Sentiment: Management’s comments emphasized broad-based growth, disciplined spending, and continued share repurchases, which are constructive but not enough to fully offset investor caution around the second half of the year. ULTA Q1 Earnings Call Highlights Share Gains, Discipline
• Negative Sentiment: Some investors appear to be selling after the earnings beat because guidance was only modestly improved relative to the strong quarter, with concerns about inventory growth, costs, and full-year upside. Ulta Beauty beats Q1 estimates, shares fall on muted full-year outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Several analysts still trimmed price targets, including JPMorgan, Barclays, and Baird, suggesting the market is reassessing valuation after the stock’s strong post-earnings move. Ulta Beauty Given New $631.00 Price Target at JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Institutional Trading of Ulta Beauty

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Wedbush Securities Inc. boosted its holdings in Ulta Beauty by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. now owns 6,455 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $3,905,000 after purchasing an additional 21 shares during the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Ulta Beauty by 1.1% during the third quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 2,235 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $1,222,000 after purchasing an additional 24 shares during the last quarter. Meeder Advisory Services Inc. boosted its holdings in Ulta Beauty by 4.9% during the fourth quarter. Meeder Advisory Services Inc. now owns 540 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $327,000 after purchasing an additional 25 shares during the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Ulta Beauty by 5.7% during the third quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 630 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $344,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares during the last quarter. Finally, VestGen Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Ulta Beauty by 4.5% during the fourth quarter. VestGen Advisors LLC now owns 789 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $477,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares during the last quarter. 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.