Ulta shares pop as beauty retailer beats Wall Street expectations and hikes earnings outlook

Ulta Beauty on Tuesday reported quarterly results that beat on the top and bottom lines and hiked its earnings outlook as the retailer saw a strong start to its fiscal year.

For the three-month period ended May 2, Ulta saw net sales increase roughly 11% compared to the year-ago period. It reported comparable sales rose 5.3%, compared to StreetAccount estimates of up 4.6%.

Ulta reaffirmed its full-year same-store sales and revenue projections, but raised its full-year EPS guidance to between $28.36 and $28.80. Its previous outlook was earnings per share between $28.05 and $28.55.

"Fiscal 2026 is off to a strong start driven by broad-based growth across all channels and major categories," CEO Kecia Steelman said in a statement. "Our results demonstrate the strengths of our model, focused execution of our talented associates and the effectiveness of our strategy in an uncertain macroeconomic landscape."

On a call with analysts on Tuesday, Steelman said the launch of Ulta's TikTok Shop, with a focus on Ulta-specific products, during the quarter contributed to its success. The company also launched more than 20 new brands during the quarter, including Selena Gomez's popular makeup brand, Rare Beauty.

The company said its strongest category for the quarter was fragrances, increasing from 11% to 12% of total revenue.

The earnings come as consumer confidence takes a dip amid soaring gas prices and rising inflation, leading to a pullback in discretionary spending.

"We are operating from a position of strength in this environment and have multiple levers to satisfy guests' value needs," Steelman said on the call.

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