Fiscal 2026 guidance raised with double-digit EPS growth
Ulta reported a strong Q2 with sales and EPS beating expectations, leading to a raised full-year outlook. The company credited successful promotional events, strong newness in fragrance and K-beauty, and robust omnichannel execution. Management remains confident in the resilient beauty market while navigating a competitive promotional environment. Raised FY2026 revenue growth guide to 6.7-7.2% and EPS to $28.70-$29.00.
Buzzberg readFiscal 2026 guidance raised with double-digit EPS growthUlta reported a strong Q2 with sales and EPS beating expectations, leading to a raised full-year outlook. The company credited successful promotional events, strong newness in fragrance and K-beauty, and robust omnichannel execution. Management remains confident in the resilient beauty market while navigating a competitive promotional environment. Raised FY2026 revenue growth guide to 6.7-7.2% and EPS to $28.70-$29.00.Read full analysisCollapse analysis
Ulta reported a strong Q2 with sales and EPS beating expectations, leading to a raised full-year outlook. The company credited successful promotional events, strong newness in fragrance and K-beauty, and robust omnichannel execution. Management remains confident in the resilient beauty market while navigating a competitive promotional environment. Raised FY2026 revenue growth guide to 6.7-7.2% and EPS to $28.70-$29.00.
Q2 comp sales grew 3.8%, driven by average ticket and strong e-commerce (high-teens growth).
Fragrance was the strongest category (high-teens comp), with K-beauty delivering double-digit growth.
TikTok Shop is a growing channel, driving over 100 million impressions and attracting brand partners.
Revenue$3.0357B
-4% QoQ
EPS$6.55
-15% QoQ
Gross margin39.1%
reported
Op margin12.66%
reported
What changed this quarter
01
Guidance
Fiscal 2026 guidance raised with double-digit EPS growth
Guidance · revenue to 6.95%
02
Demand
E-commerce delivered sixth consecutive quarter of double-digit growth
Management described a resilient beauty market with continued consumer engagement, but also noted consumers are being 'choiceful' amid macro uncertainty and higher fuel costs. They reported strong sales growth and share gains, but guided to slower comps in the second half due…
03
Digital
TikTok Shop driving over 100 million impressions
Q2 comp sales grew 3.8%, driven by average ticket and strong e-commerce (high-teens growth).
04
Category Performance
Fragrance remains strongest category with high teen comp growth
Fragrance was the strongest category (high-teens comp), with K-beauty delivering double-digit growth.
AI, capex & demand read
AI
Platform & monetization
Management highlighted several AI initiatives, including a chat assistant (Alta AI), an on-site shopping agent, partnerships with OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google Gemini for multi-SKU purchases, and AI-driven supply chain optimization. They noted encouraging results in site traffic and conversion, but provided no specific metrics.
Demand
Bookings & conversion
Management described a resilient beauty market with continued consumer engagement, but also noted consumers are being 'choiceful' amid macro uncertainty and higher fuel costs. They reported strong sales growth and share gains, but guided to slower comps in the second half due to lapping stronger prior-year performance.
Capex
Investment and capacity
Capital expenditures were $81 million in the quarter, primarily for new and existing stores and technology. The company continues to guide to roughly flat capex as it leverages growth and productivity, and plans to balance investments across cost of sales and SG&A to support growth.
Tone · Confident
Management raised full-year guidance, highlighted double-digit EPS growth, and repeatedly expressed confidence in the strategy and market share gains, despite acknowledging a dynamic consumer environment.
Supply-chain alpha
A1
Ulta's successful TikTok Shop is attracting brand partners, suggesting that TikTok's e-commerce platform is becoming a meaningful sales channel for beauty brands. This could disrupt traditional performance marketing spend.
“Notably, we're attracting significant attention from brand partners who are interested in joining our TikTok shop assortment and from creators who are interested in collaborating with the Ulta Beauty brand.”
Ulta's physical stores now fulfill over 50% of e-commerce orders, showcasing a highly efficient omnichannel model that reduces shipping costs and improves speed. This is a competitive moat versus pure-play e-commerce rivals.
As consumers increasingly use AI chatbots like ChatGPT for product discovery, Ulta has scaled content to be an authoritative source on these platforms, positioning itself to capture AI-driven traffic, a new and growing customer acquisition channel.
“As consumers increasingly turn to AI for search and discovery, we have scaled content creation and enriched product information across AI platforms like OpenAI's ChatGPT”
In its first quarter, the TikTok Shop initiative has generated over 100 million impressions, and the success has led to interest from brands, signaling that social commerce is more than just a test for Ulta and providing a new growth vector.
RaisedGuidance · revenue to 6.95% · was IN LINE last Q
Forward guidance
Metric
Period
Range
Midpoint
Status
EPS
FY2026
$28.70–$29.00
$28.85
RAISED
Op margin
FY2026
0.2%
0.2%
RAISED
Revenue
FY2026
6.7%–7.2%
6.95%
RAISED
Guidance credibility
2 / 2met or beat
Guidance credibility
Issued
Metric
Target
Guide
Actual
Outcome
FY2025 Q3
EPS
FY2025 Q4
$7.61–$7.90
$8.04
Met / beat
FY2025 Q3
Op margin
FY2025 Q4
12%–12.3%
12.33%
Met / beat
Company read-throughs
BYTEDANCE
Private company
Customers
Ulta's success on TikTok Shop is a strong signal for ByteDance's e-commerce ambitions in the US, showing retailer engagement and revenue generation potential.
“Ulta Beauty's TikTok shop continued to gain traction during the quarter, supported by the official brand opening campaign and the addition of several new brands to the shop”
As consumers increasingly use AI chatbots like ChatGPT for product discovery, Ulta has scaled content to be an authoritative source on these platforms, positioning itself to capture AI-driven traffic, a new and growing customer acquisition channel. — This early-mover advantage in AI-driven commerce could become a significant competitive advantage for Ulta in the future, creating a new growth channel and potentially acting as a threat to traditional search giants.
“As consumers increasingly turn to AI for search and discovery, we have scaled content creation and enriched product information across AI platforms like OpenAI's ChatGPT, positioning Ulta Beauty as an authoritative source for beauty”
… the impact of rising fuel costs. In addition, our AI-powered sourcing capabilities continue to optimize the omni-channel inventory across all nodes, allowing us to meet greater guest and customer demand more efficiently and reduce markdowns. Beyond just supply chain, we are advancing our AI capabilities across the business to elevate the guest experience and unlock meaningful operational efficiencies. As consumers increasingly turn to AI for search and discovery, we have scaled content creation and enriched product information across AI platforms like OpenAI's ChatGPT, positioning Ulta Beauty as an authoritative source for beauty discovery, inspiration, and expertise. We also leveraged our partnership with Google Gemini to launch first-to-market capabilities, including multi-skew purchases. At the same time, we enhanced our on-site shopping agent, Alta AI, with new features and broader placement of a high-performing discovery experience. These efforts are delivering encouraging results, driving meaningful increases in site traffic and improved conversion. At the same time, we're in the early stages of applying AI across key corporate uses to enhance how we work, improve …
As consumers increasingly use AI chatbots like ChatGPT for product discovery, Ulta has scaled content to be an authoritative source on these platforms, positioning itself to capture AI-driven traffic, a new and growing customer acquisition channel. — This early-mover advantage in AI-driven commerce could become a significant competitive advantage for Ulta in the future, creating a new growth channel and potentially acting as a threat to traditional search giants.
“We also leveraged our partnership with Google Gemini to launch first-to-market capabilities, including multi-skew purchases.”
… markdowns. Beyond just supply chain, we are advancing our AI capabilities across the business to elevate the guest experience and unlock meaningful operational efficiencies. As consumers increasingly turn to AI for search and discovery, we have scaled content creation and enriched product information across AI platforms like OpenAI's ChatGPT, positioning Ulta Beauty as an authoritative source for beauty discovery, inspiration, and expertise. We also leveraged our partnership with Google Gemini to launch first-to-market capabilities, including multi-skew purchases. At the same time, we enhanced our on-site shopping agent, Alta AI, with new features and broader placement of a high-performing discovery experience. These efforts are delivering encouraging results, driving meaningful increases in site traffic and improved conversion. At the same time, we're in the early stages of applying AI across key corporate uses to enhance how we work, improve productivity, and drive greater efficiency. As these capabilities mature, we see opportunities to scale AI thoughtfully across the organization and deliver incremental value over time. Turning to the operating landscape, we see …
… teen comp growth, driven by successful Mother's Day and Father's Day activations and compelling newness. Incremental marketing support for key fragrance moments and a thoughtfully curated assortment of both breakthrough exclusive newness and beloved luxury fragrance icons continue to drive momentum. Guests responded to the excitement of discovering what's new while continuing to turn to Ulta Beauty for key gifting occasions. This performance was supported by strength in our core luxury brands, Prada, Carolina Herrera, and YSL, as well as the exclusive new brand launch of Megamy Stallion. Exclusive brand noise through its innovative milk scent format and standout newness in collaboration with award-winning singer-songwriter Ella Langley drove virality and strong guest engagement. The hair care category delivered high single-digit comp growth again this quarter, driven primarily by strong performance in Prestige Hair Care and Hair Tools. Newer brands Amica and Moroccan Oil, as well as exclusive brand Sacred, continue to drive healthy growth in Prestige Hair Care, as hair treatments, such as scalp regimens, continue to resonate with consumers. Innovative offerings from Shark and …
Bath & Body Works launching in Ulta stores is a significant competitive development in beauty retail, potentially expanding its reach and competing with Ulta's private labels.
… compared to the same period last year gives us confidence in our K-Beauty assortment. Importantly, nearly half of our K-Beauty sales during the quarter came from exclusive brands or products. Our efforts contributed to continued share gains and reinforced our optimism in the longevity of the K-Beauty brands over time. From a broader newness perspective, newly launched brands like Rare Beauty, Amica, and Moroccan Oil contributed nicely to performance. During the quarter, we launched 15 new brands, including Bath & Body Works, Frenchie, Junoco, and others. And in addition to new brand launches, our merchants are collaborating in close partnership with existing brands to fuel the innovation pipeline and address key white space opportunities. During the quarter, we launched exclusive newness from our existing brand partners, including L'Oreal's Infallible Cushion Foundation, Charlotte Tilbury's Exaggerized Waterproof Eyeshadow Sticks, and Salterre's Shimmering Body Oil. We continue to advance our marketing strategy, strengthening Ulta Beauty's position at the intersection of beauty, culture, and community. Our Rewrite the Rules summer campaign champions self-expression, amplified …
L'Oreal's exclusive launches did not fully offset declines in the mass makeup category, which could indicate slower demand for mass brands or a shift to prestige despite strong new products.
… to growth within Hair Tools. Comp sales in the makeup category were approximately flat, with growth in prestige makeup offset by a decrease in mass makeup. Compelling newness, including an early lead from Charlotte Tilbury and an exclusive launch with Head Magic, as well as ongoing performance of new brand Rare Beauty, drove guest excitement and low single-digit growth for prestige makeup. Mass makeup declined in the low single-digit range with exclusive newness from L'Oreal, strength from Milani, and sustained growth from Morphe, which was more than offset by select mass brands, which lapped meaningful newness from last year. Calm sales in the total skincare and wellness category declined modestly this quarter. Wellness delivered another quarter of double-digit growth with nutrition and supplements, including Lemming, Mary Ruth's, and Symbiotica, as well as self-care brands, including Therabody and Sage, driving category performance. Prestige and Mass Skincare continue to contribute to growth as K-Beauty brands, including Medi-Cube, Anua, and exclusive brand Peach & Lily, and newness from existing brands, including Tatcha and La Roche-Posay, drove category performance …
Ulta's successful TikTok Shop is attracting brand partners, suggesting that TikTok's e-commerce platform is becoming a meaningful sales channel for beauty brands. This could disrupt traditional performance marketing spend. — It signals that TikTok is becoming a more important e-commerce discovery engine, potentially shifting advertising budgets away from traditional digital platforms like Google and Meta.
… the quarter, supported by the official brand opening campaign and the addition of several new brands to the shop, including TikTok's first live celebrity fragrance launch by rapper Ice Spice. We also used our new Chelsea, New York store as a TikTok shop live shopping studio, driving in-store guest excitement and online impressions. Since the launch, our TikTok initiative has driven over 100 million impressions. Notably, we're attracting significant attention from brand partners who are interested in joining our TikTok shop assortment and from creators who are interested in collaborating with the Ulta Beauty brand. We're pleased with the ongoing success of TikTok initiative and the competitive differentiation that is enabling for Ulta Beauty. From a merchandising perspective, we're focused on creating a continuous sense of discovery, bringing guest products, brands, trends, and experiences to give them reasons to keep coming back to Ulta Beauty. Our merchants are curating innovation across established brands, emerging brands, exclusive offerings, and fresh beauty trends, effectively translating what is culturally relevant into a guest experience that feels accessible and …
Ulta's physical stores now fulfill over 50% of e-commerce orders, showcasing a highly efficient omnichannel model that reduces shipping costs and improves speed. This is a competitive moat versus pure-play e-commerce rivals. — It demonstrates that BOPIS and ship-from-store are now central to Ulta's e-commerce profitability, allowing it to offset rising fuel and shipping costs, a key advantage over competitors.
… traffic, strong guest engagement, and sales. E-commerce momentum continued in Q2 as we delivered our sixth consecutive quarter of double-digit sales growth, driven by ongoing investments in our guest experience, omnichannel capabilities, and emerging channels. Sales were fueled by planned merchandise and marketing promotions that resonated with guests, along with the enhanced convenience of our buy-anywhere, fill-anywhere capabilities. During Q2, we fulfilled more than 50% of our e-commerce orders through our vast network of more than 1,500 convenience store locations. Alta Beauty's TikTok shop continued to gain traction during the quarter, supported by the official brand opening campaign and the addition of several new brands to the shop, including TikTok's first live celebrity fragrance launch by rapper Ice Spice. We also used our new Chelsea, New York store as a TikTok shop live shopping studio, driving in-store guest excitement and online impressions. Since the launch, our TikTok initiative has driven over 100 million impressions. Notably, we're attracting significant attention from brand partners who are interested in joining our TikTok shop assortment and from …
In its first quarter, the TikTok Shop initiative has generated over 100 million impressions, and the success has led to interest from brands, signaling that social commerce is more than just a test for Ulta and providing a new growth vector. — The rapid traction indicates TikTok Live shopping is becoming a viable new sales channel, which could fuel incremental sales and brand engagement, and it signals Ulta's willingness to innovate.
… through our vast network of more than 1,500 convenience store locations. Alta Beauty's TikTok shop continued to gain traction during the quarter, supported by the official brand opening campaign and the addition of several new brands to the shop, including TikTok's first live celebrity fragrance launch by rapper Ice Spice. We also used our new Chelsea, New York store as a TikTok shop live shopping studio, driving in-store guest excitement and online impressions. Since the launch, our TikTok initiative has driven over 100 million impressions. Notably, we're attracting significant attention from brand partners who are interested in joining our TikTok shop assortment and from creators who are interested in collaborating with the Ulta Beauty brand. We're pleased with the ongoing success of TikTok initiative and the competitive differentiation that is enabling for Ulta Beauty. From a merchandising perspective, we're focused on creating a continuous sense of discovery, bringing guest products, brands, trends, and experiences to give them reasons to keep coming back to Ulta Beauty. Our merchants are curating innovation across established brands, emerging brands, exclusive offerings, …
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