An Ulta Beauty store in Colma, California, United States, on Wednesday, December 3, 2025.
David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Ulta Beauty reported top- and bottom-line quarterly results on Tuesday and raised its profit outlook as the retailer got off to a strong start to the fiscal year.
Shares of the company rose 7% in extended trading.
Here’s how the company performed in its fiscal first quarter compared to what Wall Street expected, according to a survey of analysts by LSEG:
- Earnings per share: $7.74 versus $6.86 expected
- Income: $3.16 billion versus $3.10 billion expected
For the three-month period ended May 2, Ulta saw its net sales increase about 11% compared to the year-ago period. It said its comparable sales rose 5.3%, compared with StreetAccount estimates of a 4.6% rise.
Ulta reaffirmed its full-year same-store sales and revenue guidance, but raised its full-year EPS guidance to between $28.36 and $28.80. Its previous forecast was for earnings per share of between $28.05 and $28.55.
“Fiscal year 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, the focused execution of our talented associates and the effectiveness of our strategy in an uncertain macroeconomic landscape.”
On a call with analysts Tuesday, Steelman said the launch of Ulta’s TikTok store, focused 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 largest category for the quarter was fragrance, growing from 11% to 12% of total revenue.
These profits come as consumer confidence plummets amid soaring gasoline prices and rising inflation, leading to a retreat in discretionary spending.
“We operate from a position of strength in this environment and have multiple levers to satisfy customers’ value needs,” Steelman said on the call.