Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Net sales for Q4 2023 increased by 10.2% to $3.6 billion, driven by a 2.5% growth in comparable sales and strong performance from new stores [14][67] - Operating profit was 14.5% of sales, with diluted EPS increasing by 21% to $8.08 per share [81] - For the full year, net sales rose by 9.8% to $11.2 billion, with comparable sales increasing by 5.7% [61][81] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Skincare was the fastest-growing category, delivering double-digit comp growth, while fragrance and bath also saw low double-digit comp growth [60] - The makeup category experienced a low single-digit decline, with softness in prestige cosmetics partially offset by growth in mass makeup [68] - The services business delivered high single-digit growth, driven by an increase in transactions [5] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company maintained its share of the total U.S. beauty product industry, launching customer-favorite brands and expanding strategic cross-category platforms [69] - The competitive landscape remains intense, with increased distribution points in prestige beauty impacting market share [4] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company plans to expand its international presence, with a joint venture in Mexico set to launch in 2025 [13] - Strategic pillars include driving operational excellence, enhancing guest experiences, and expanding environmental and social impact [8][9] - The company aims to innovate and evolve its beauty offerings, focusing on exclusive brand launches and enhancing omnichannel engagement [10][11] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the beauty category's resilience, anticipating continued consumer engagement despite potential economic pressures [73] - The outlook for fiscal 2024 includes expected net sales between $11.7 billion and $11.8 billion, with comp sales growth projected at 4% to 5% [19][20] - The company is prepared for evolving consumer behavior and plans to manage through economic disruptions effectively [73] Other Important Information - The company invested $435 million in capital expenditures in fiscal 2023, with plans for $415 million to $490 million in CapEx for fiscal 2024 [20][54] - A new share repurchase authorization for $2 billion was announced, reflecting the company's commitment to returning value to shareholders [83] Q&A Session Summary Question: Insights on prestige cosmetics category for the fiscal year - Management acknowledged challenges in the prestige cosmetics category but emphasized strategies to drive growth across all makeup segments [21][29] Question: Decision to enter Mexico instead of Canada - The company highlighted the Mexican market's potential and the partnership with Axo as a strategic move for international expansion [23][24] Question: Store expansion plans and competition - Plans include opening 60 to 65 net new stores in fiscal 2024, with a focus on both full-size and smaller test stores [35] Question: Update on UB Media platform - Management reported positive progress with UB Media, leveraging first-party data to enhance brand partnerships and advertising opportunities [36][37] Question: Contribution of new products to sales - New product launches, including Charlotte Tilbury and Sol de Janeiro, are expected to significantly contribute to sales growth [39][40]

Ulta Beauty (ULTA) reported $3.55 billion in revenue for the quarter ended January 2024, representing a year-over-year increase of 10.2%. EPS of $8.08 for the same period compares to $6.68 a year ago.The reported revenue represents a surprise of +1.01% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.52 billion. With the consensus EPS estimate being $7.49, the EPS surprise was +7.88%.While investors scrutinize revenue and earnings changes year-over-year and how they compare with Wall Street expectations to determine ...

Ulta Beauty is finding that, by improving the consumer experience on its digital platforms, it is able to boost its eCommerce performance.On a call with analysts Thursday (March 14) discussing the beauty retailer’s fourth quarter fiscal 2023 financial results, Ulta Beauty CEO Dave Kimbell spoke to these efforts and the positive results they have yielded.“We successfully transitioned key guest-facing and commerce elements to a new, modern architecture, delivering a fresh guest experience across both Ulta.com ...

PHILADELPHIA, PA - MAY 31: Molly Sims attends store opening of ULTA Beauty Philidelphia on May 31, ... [+] 2013 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Gilbert Carrasquillo/FilmMagic)FilmMagic Ulta Beauty Inc. scheduled to report earnings after Thursday’s close. The stock just hit a record high above $572 and is currently trading near that level. The stock is prone to big moves after reporting earnings and can easily gap up if the numbers are strong. Conversely, if the numbers disappoint, the stock can eas ...

Financial Performance - Net sales increased 10.2% to $3.6 billion compared to $3.2 billion in the year-ago quarter, driven by increased comparable sales and an extra week of sales[1][6] - Comparable sales increased 2.5% in Q4 2023, driven by a 4.5% increase in transactions and a 1.9% decrease in average ticket[6] - Net income increased 15.7% to $394.4 million, with diluted earnings per share rising 21.0% to $8.08[1][6] - Gross profit increased 10.6% to $1.3 billion, with gross profit margin improving to 37.7% from 37.6%[6] - Operating income increased 15.5% to $517.1 million, representing 14.5% of net sales[6] - Net sales for the 14 weeks ended February 3, 2024, were $3.55 billion, a 10.1% increase compared to $3.23 billion in the same period last year[24] - Gross profit for the 14 weeks ended February 3, 2024, was $1.34 billion, representing 37.7% of net sales, up from 37.6% in the prior year[24] - Net income for the 14 weeks ended February 3, 2024, was $394.37 million, an 11.1% increase compared to $340.75 million in the same period last year[24] - Net sales for the 53 weeks ended February 3, 2024, were $11.21 billion, a 9.8% increase compared to $10.21 billion in the prior year[26] - Gross profit for the 53 weeks ended February 3, 2024, was $4.38 billion, representing 39.1% of net sales, down from 39.6% in the prior year[26] - Net income for the 53 weeks ended February 3, 2024, was $1.29 billion, a 3.9% increase compared to $1.24 billion in the prior year[26] Inventory and Store Operations - Merchandise inventories increased 8.6% to $1.7 billion, primarily due to new brand launches and store openings[8] - The company plans to open 60-65 new stores and complete 40-45 remodel and relocation projects in fiscal 2024[17] - Total stores open at the end of the 4th quarter of fiscal 2023 were 1,385, with 13 new stores opened and 2 stores closed during the quarter[32] - Total gross square feet at the end of the 4th quarter of fiscal 2023 were 14,515,593, with 132,464 square feet added and 22,736 square feet lost during the quarter[32] Sales by Category - Cosmetics accounted for 39% of net sales in the 14 weeks ended February 3, 2024, down from 40% in the same period last year[30] - Skincare accounted for 18% of net sales in the 14 weeks ended February 3, 2024, up from 16% in the same period last year[30] Strategic Initiatives and Outlook - The company announced a joint venture with Axo to launch Ulta Beauty in Mexico in 2025[3] - Fiscal 2024 outlook projects net sales of $11.7 billion to $11.8 billion and comparable sales growth of 4% to 5%[17] Share Repurchases - Share repurchases totaled $1.0 billion in fiscal 2023, with a new $2.0 billion repurchase authorization approved[11][13]

Read CNBC's full investigation into the alleged organized theft groups that police say are stealing and reselling items from retailers including Ulta Beauty, T.J. Maxx and Walgreens.Faced with sophisticated organized retail crime rings that investigators say have targeted his company, Ulta Beauty CEO Dave Kimbell is laying some blame on e-commerce sites.In the first in-depth interview given by a retail CEO about organized theft, Kimbell responded to a monthslong CNBC investigation that showed how police bro ...

Investors are always looking for stocks that are poised to beat at earnings season and Ulta Beauty, Inc. (ULTA) may be one such company. The firm has earnings coming up pretty soon, and events are shaping up quite nicely for their report.That is because Ulta Beauty is seeing favorable earnings estimate revision activity as of late, which is generally a precursor to an earnings beat. After all, analysts raising estimates right before earnings — with the most up-to-date information possible — is a pretty good ...

Ulta Beauty, Inc. (ULTA) is likely to register top and bottom-line growth when it reports fourth-quarter fiscal 2023 earnings on Mar 14. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues is pegged at $3.52 billion, which indicates an increase of almost 9% from the $3.23 billion reported in the prior-year quarter.The consensus mark for earnings has risen by a penny in the past 30 days to $7.48 per share, which implies an increase of nearly 12% from the year-ago quarter’s figure. ULTA has a trailing four-quarter earn ...

Key PointsUlta Beauty can be your best value pick for the next decade, even after hitting an all-time high price. Following its fundamentals and impeccable financial strength, ULTA stock could become a mainstream pick in the investment community. Analysts on Wall Street see a double-digit upside that can be had in the next bull run higher.5 stocks we like better than TargetIt isn't often that you can find the type of stocks that would get Warren Buffett interested. But pushed by several tailwinds, Ulta Beau ...

Ulta Beauty (ULTA) is expected to deliver a year-over-year increase in earnings on higher revenues when it reports results for the quarter ended January 2024. This widely-known consensus outlook gives a good sense of the company's earnings picture, but how the actual results compare to these estimates is a powerful factor that could impact its near-term stock price.The stock might move higher if these key numbers top expectations in the upcoming earnings report, which is expected to be released on March 14. ...