With a market cap of $26.5 billion, Ulta Beauty, Inc. (ULTA) is the largest specialty beauty retailer in the U.S., offering cosmetics, fragrance, skin care, hair care, wellness products, and salon services through more than 1,500 stores nationwide, as well as its website and mobile app. It combines a broad product assortment, professional salon services, and a popular loyalty program, while expanding internationally through Space NK in the U.K. and Ireland, a joint venture in Mexico, and a franchise in the Middle East.
The Bolingbrook, Illinois-based company is set to announce its fiscal Q3 2026 results soon. Ahead of this event, analysts expect ULTA to report an EPS of $5.60, up nearly 9% from $5.14 in the year-ago quarter. It has surpassed Wall Street's earnings estimates in each of the last four quarters.
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For fiscal 2027, analysts forecast the cosmetics retailer to post an EPS of $28.95, a 12.9% rise from $25.64 in fiscal 2026.
www.barchart.com Shares of Ulta Beauty have increased 19.4% over the past 52 weeks, outpacing both the S&P 500 Index's ($SPX) 12.4% gain and the State Street Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR ETF's (XLY) 4.4% decline over the period.
www.barchart.com Ulta Beauty delivered stronger-than-expected Q2 2026 results on Aug. 27, with sales reaching $3.04 billion, up 8.9% year-over-year and EPS of $6.55. Growth was driven by resilient spending on premium fragrances and makeup, the Space NK acquisition, 13 net new U.S. store openings, and investments in marketing, exclusive products, celebrity collaborations, and TikTok Shop that helped attract younger shoppers; nearly half of sales came from exclusive brands and products.
Ulta also raised its fiscal-year sales growth forecast to 6.7% - 7.2% and its annual EPS outlook to $28.70 - $29, reflecting confidence that continued product and marketing investments would sustain demand.
Analysts' consensus view on ULTA stock is cautiously optimistic, with an overall "Moderate Buy" rating. Among 26 analysts covering the stock, 17 recommend "Strong Buy," one suggests "Moderate Buy," and eight indicate “Hold.”
The average analyst price target is $636.50, suggesting a potential upside of 2.8% from current levels.
On the date of publication, Sohini Mondal did not directly have a position in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.
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