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With a market cap of $23.6 billion, Ulta Beauty, Inc. (ULTA) is the largest specialty beauty retailer in the United States, offering over 25,000 products from around 500 established and emerging brands. The company operates stores with full-service salons and sells products through its website and mobile applications.
Shares of the beauty products retailer have outperformed the broader market over the past 52 weeks. ULTA stock has surged 39.4% over this time frame, while the broader S&P 500 Index ($SPX) has gained 14.7%. On a YTD basis, shares of ULTA are up 20.2%, compared to SPX’s 9.5% increase.
Narrowing the focus, shares of the Bolingbrook, Illinois-based company have outpaced the Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund’s (XLY) 24.9% rise over the past 52 weeks.
Ulta Beauty shares surged 11.8% on May 29 after reporting Q1 2025 EPS of $6.70 and net sales of $2.8 billion, topping estimates. Comparable sales rose 2.9%, driven by a 2.3% increase in average ticket and a rise in transactions. Management also raised full-year EPS guidance to $22.65 - $23.20 and lifted its sales outlook to $11.5 billion - $11.7 billion.
For the fiscal year ending in January 2026, analysts expect ULTA’s EPS to decrease 6.8% year-over-year to $23.63. The company’s earnings surprise history is mixed. It beat the consensus estimates in three of the last four quarters while missing on another occasion.
Among the 27 analysts covering the stock, the consensus rating is a “Moderate Buy.” That’s based on 11 “Strong Buy” ratings, two “Moderate Buys,” 13 “Holds,” and one “Strong Sell.”
This configuration is slightly less bullish than three months ago, with 12 “Strong Buy” ratings on the stock.
On Aug. 26, Canaccord raised Ulta Beauty’s price target to $630 while maintaining a “Buy” rating.
The mean price target of $531.10 represents a 1.4% premium to ULTA’s current price levels. The Street-high price target of $640 suggests a 22.2% potential upside.
On the date of publication, Sohini Mondal did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions 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.
