Ulta Beauty-Ulta (ULTA) Q4 Earnings: Taking a Look at Key Metrics Versus Estimates

Financial Performance - For the quarter ended January 2025, Ulta Beauty reported revenue of $3.49 billion, a decrease of 1.9% year-over-year [1] - EPS for the quarter was$ 8.46, an increase from $8.08 in the same quarter last year [1] - The reported revenue exceeded the Zacks Consensus Estimate of$ 3.46 billion by +0.69% [1] - EPS also surpassed the consensus estimate of $7.10 by +19.15% [1] Key Metrics - Comparable sales increased by 1.5%, outperforming the 11-analyst average estimate of 0.4% [4] - Total stores open at the end of the quarter were 1,445, slightly below the nine-analyst average estimate of 1,447 [4] - Total gross square footage at the end of the quarter was 15,110.17 thousand square feet, compared to the seven-analyst average estimate of 15,130.46 thousand square feet [4] - Net sales per average total square footage were$ 230.81, exceeding the five-analyst average estimate of $230.13 [4] - The number of stores opened during the quarter was 9, below the average estimate of 12 by five analysts [4] Sales by Category - Net Sales by Primary Category - Other: 2%, matching the average estimate [4] - Net Sales by Primary Category - Services: 3%, below the average estimate of 4% [4] - Net Sales by Primary Category - Fragrance: 17%, slightly above the average estimate of 16.5% [4] - Net Sales by Primary Category - Haircare: 19%, exceeding the average estimate of 18.5% [4] - Net Sales by Primary Category - Cosmetics: 36%, below the average estimate of 39% [4] Stock Performance - Ulta's shares have returned -11.8% over the past month, compared to the Zacks S&P 500 composite's -7.4% change [3] - The stock currently holds a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold), indicating potential performance in line with the broader market in the near term [3]