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

Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ:ULTA) updated its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday morning. The company provided earnings per share (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.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ULTA has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price objective on shares of Ulta Beauty from $692.00 to $695.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Ulta Beauty from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. B. Riley Financial cut their price target on shares of Ulta Beauty from $600.00 to $500.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. UBS Group set a $631.00 price target on shares of Ulta Beauty in a report on Friday. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of Ulta Beauty from $560.00 to $580.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have assigned a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Ulta Beauty currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $626.59.

Ulta Beauty Stock Down 4.2%

Ulta Beauty stock opened at $517.50 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $497.56 and a 200 day moving average price of $534.74. The company has a market capitalization of $22.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 0.87. Ulta Beauty has a 52 week low of $443.60 and a 52 week high of $714.97.

Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ:ULTA) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 27th. The specialty retailer reported $6.55 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.22 by $0.33. Ulta Beauty had a net margin of 9.34% and a return on equity of 45.28%. The company had revenue of $3.04 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.99 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $5.78 EPS. Ulta Beauty’s quarterly revenue was up 8.9% on a year-over-year basis. Ulta Beauty has set its FY 2026 guidance at 28.700-29.000 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Ulta Beauty will post 28.77 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director George R. Mrkonic, Jr. sold 383 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $475.84, for a total transaction of $182,246.72. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 2,404 shares in the company, valued at $1,143,919.36. The trade was a 13.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.20% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Ulta Beauty News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly results exceeded expectations. Ulta reported $6.55 in EPS versus the $6.20 consensus and revenue of approximately $3.04 billion, up 8.9% year over year and ahead of the $2.99 billion estimate. Comparable sales rose 3.8%, while digital sales, loyalty growth, new brands and stronger execution supported performance. Ulta Beauty Q2 Earnings Beat as Sales Rise, FY26 View Raised
• Positive Sentiment: Ulta raised its fiscal 2026 outlook and expanded capital returns. The company now expects EPS of $28.70–$29.00, up from $28.36–$28.80, and revenue of roughly $13.2–$13.3 billion. It also increased its planned share repurchases to $1.8 billion, which could provide support for per-share earnings. Ulta Beauty Targets Sales Growth and Buybacks
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts remain broadly constructive, but estimates are mixed. DA Davidson raised its price target to $625 and maintained a Buy rating, while Bank of America lowered its target to $650 but also kept a Buy rating. The conflicting revisions suggest confidence in Ulta’s long-term share gains, alongside caution about valuation and execution risks.
• Negative Sentiment: The market reaction reflects concerns about forward momentum. Management indicated that third-quarter comparable-sales comparisons may be weaker than fourth-quarter comparisons, increasing the risk of a temporary slowdown. Investors are also focused on Target’s rollout of its own Beauty Studio in more than 600 stores, including five former Ulta locations in South Carolina, potentially intensifying competition for prestige beauty customers. Ulta is responding by emphasizing exclusive products and brand differentiation. Ulta Leans Into Exclusivity Amid Target Competition

Institutional Trading of Ulta Beauty

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. State Street Corp grew its stake 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 purchasing an additional 50,305 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. boosted its holdings in 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 buying an additional 24,238 shares in the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP boosted its holdings in Ulta Beauty by 5.4% during the fourth quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 478,657 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $289,592,000 after buying an additional 24,451 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its position in Ulta Beauty by 76.6% during the second quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 477,504 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $222,794,000 after buying an additional 207,084 shares during the period. Finally, Amundi grew its position in Ulta Beauty by 5.6% during the fourth quarter. Amundi now owns 469,734 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $284,194,000 after buying an additional 24,971 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other 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.