Ulta Beauty, Inc. (ULTA) has seen its shares decline 17.3% over the past three months, underperforming the broader Zacks Retail – Wholesale sector and the S&P 500, which fell 11.3% and 14.7%, respectively. Meanwhile, the stock has fared slightly better than the industry’s 18.4% drop. This pullback reflects a combination of challenging macroeconomic conditions and company-specific headwinds. That said, Ulta Beauty has still managed to outperform some of its peers, such as Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc. (SBH) , ...

Within the space of just a few days, the stock market has nearly unraveled all of 2024's gains, driven by the fear that Trump's fresh tariff plan will set the U.S. on a faster collision course to a recession. Amid this backdrop, however, investors who haveWith combined experience of covering technology companies on Wall Street and working in Silicon Valley, and serving as an outside adviser to several seed-round startups, Gary Alexander has exposure to many of the themes shaping the industry today. He has b ...

While the prestige and mass beauty industry segments in 2024 have rebounded, growth 7% and 3%, respectively, Ulta Beauty Inc ULTA is gaining back market share, according to Goldman Sachs. The Ulta Beauty Analyst: Analyst Kate McShane upgraded the rating from Neutral to Buy, while raising the price target from $384 to $423. The Ulta Beauty Thesis: The company's quarter-to-date trends appear to be in-line with the current comp guidance, "with some acceleration in sales observed recently," McShane said in the ...

Table of Contents UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, DC 20549 FORM 10-K ☒ Annual Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 For the fiscal year ended February 1, 2025 or ☐ Transition Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 For the transition period from _____________ to _____________ Commission File Number: 001-33764 ULTA BEAUTY, INC. (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter) Delaware (State or ot ...

Cosmetics major Ulta Beauty Inc ULTA reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter FY24 earnings. The following are the comments from various analysts on the same.Goldman Sachs analyst Kate McShane reiterated a Neutral rating and lowered the price forecast from $392.00 to $384.00.ULTA’s fourth-quarter earnings beat expectations, with shares rising. Despite offering FY25 guidance below consensus, the company provided better-than-expected projections for a flat-to-positive comp and operating margins between 11 ...

Shares of cosmetics retailer Ulta Beauty (ULTA 11.79%) popped on Friday after the company reported financial results for the fourth quarter of 2024. As of 11:45 a.m. ET, Ulta Beauty stock was up 13%.The year ended better than expectedYesterday, Ulta Beauty stock had dropped to its lowest price in nearly four years, showing just how much investors had turned on this beauty retailer. But the stock price is prettier now that the company just reported full-year net sales of $11.3 billion, higher than management ...

Core Insights - Ulta Beauty Inc reported strong fourth-quarter earnings, with earnings per share at $8.46, surpassing the consensus estimate of $7.10, and revenue at $3.49 billion, exceeding the projected $3.46 billion [1][2] Group 1: Earnings Performance - The company posted earnings of $8.46 per share, significantly above the expected $7.10 [1] - Revenue for the quarter was $3.49 billion, which also exceeded the forecast of $3.46 billion [1] Group 2: Future Guidance - Ulta issued weaker-than-expected full-year guidance, anticipating comparable sales to be flat or increase by just 1% in 2025, below analyst expectations of 1.2% growth [2] - The company forecasted lower-than-expected profits for the upcoming year, focusing on restructuring and long-term growth investments [2] Group 3: Stock Performance - Following the earnings report, Ulta's stock rose by 7.2% to $337, recovering from a pre-earnings drop to $328.45, its lowest since May 2021 [3] - Year-to-date, the stock has reduced its deficit to 23%, but remains down over 40% in the last 12 months [3] Group 4: Analyst Reactions - At least 12 analysts lowered their price targets post-earnings, with Wells Fargo adjusting its target from $360 to $310, representing an 8% discount to the current stock price [4] - The consensus 12-month average price target stands at $424.88, indicating a 27.2% premium to Ulta's current trading level, suggesting potential for further price-target reductions [4] Group 5: Options Activity - Options trading activity has increased significantly, with 6,782 calls and 6,363 puts exchanged, which is seven times the typical volume [5] - The most active options contract is the weekly 3/14 350-strike call, indicating new positions being opened [5]

Core Insights - Ulta Beauty, Inc. (ULTA) experienced a 6.5% increase in share price after reporting strong fourth-quarter fiscal 2024 results, with both top and bottom lines exceeding Zacks Consensus Estimates [1][2] Financial Performance - The company reported fourth-quarter earnings per share of $8.46, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $7.10, and an increase from $8.08 per share in the previous year [2] - Net sales declined 1.9% year over year to $3,487.6 million, primarily due to an additional sales week in fiscal 2023, but still exceeded the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3,463.7 million [3] - Comparable sales rose 1.5%, driven by a 3% increase in average ticket, although transaction volume decreased by 1.4% [4] Profitability Metrics - Gross profit totaled $1,333.7 million, down from $1,340.6 million, but improved as a percentage of net sales to 38.2% from 37.7% due to reduced inventory shrink and improved merchandise margins [5] - Selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses decreased to $815.6 million from $820.4 million, but as a percentage of net sales, SG&A expenses increased to 23.4% from 23.1% [6] - Operating income was $516.3 million compared to $517.1 million in the same quarter last year, with operating income as a percentage of net sales increasing to 14.8% from 14.5% [6] Financial Health - The company ended the quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $703.2 million and net merchandise inventories of $2 billion [7] - Stockholders' equity was reported at $2,488.4 million, with net cash provided by operating activities amounting to $1,338.7 million for the 52 weeks ended February 1, 2025 [7] Share Repurchase and Capital Expenditures - Ulta Beauty repurchased 620,053 shares for $249.5 million in the quarter, with $2.7 billion remaining under its $3 billion buyback program [8] - Management anticipates capital expenditures in the range of $425-$500 million for fiscal 2025 [8] Store Expansion Plans - In the reported quarter, the company opened nine stores, remodeled five, and closed one, ending with 1,445 stores totaling 15.1 million square feet [9] - For fiscal 2025, Ulta expects to open nearly 60 net new stores and undertake 40-45 store remodeling and relocation projects [9] Future Outlook - Ulta Beauty projects fiscal 2025 net sales between $11.5 billion and $11.6 billion, compared to $11.3 billion in fiscal 2024, with comparable sales expected to be flat to up 1% year over year [10] - Management anticipates an operating margin between 11.7% and 11.8% for fiscal 2025, with earnings per share expected in the range of $22.50-$22.90 [11]

Core Insights - Ulta Beauty is focusing on digital acceleration, personalization, and launching a new marketplace to enhance customer experience and regain market share lost in 2024 [1][2][6] Digital Strategy - The company plans to enhance its digital presence by adding new features to its app and website, aiming to elevate guest experience and engagement [2][3] - Automation and real-time content will be increased across digital channels to deepen guest engagement [3] Marketplace Initiative - A new marketplace will be launched on an invitation-only basis for brands, allowing Ulta Beauty to curate product selections [4] - Customers will earn points on marketplace purchases and can return these purchases to Ulta Beauty stores, making the process seamless [4][5] Organizational Changes - To support these initiatives, Ulta Beauty has created new roles, including chief retail officer and chief technology and transformation officer [5] - The company is building a dedicated team for selling and operations related to the new marketplace model [5] Market Context - The beauty industry is experiencing heightened competition and changing consumer expectations, prompting Ulta Beauty to adapt quickly [2][6] - Despite a slowdown in the beauty category in 2024, growth is still expected in the low- to mid-single-digit range [6]

Ulta Beauty, Inc. (NASDAQ:ULTA) Q4 2024 Earnings Conference Call March 13, 2025 4:30 PM ET Company Participants Kiley Rawlins - Vice President, Investor Relations Kecia Steelman - Chief Executive Officer Paula Oyibo - Chief Financial Officer Conference Call Participants Dana Telsey - Telsey Advisory Group Lorraine Hutchinson - Bank of America Michael Binetti - Evercore ISI Adrienne Yih - Barclays Simeon Gutman - Morgan Stanley Steven Forbes - Guggenheim Securities Mark Altschwager - Baird Michael Lasser - U ...