Ulta Beauty stock climbs ahead of August 27 earnings
Published on 08/25/2026 at 11:16 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Ulta Beauty (US90384S3031) stock closed at $538.76 on August 24, 2026, after rising 3.3% that day and leaving the retailer with a $23.16 billion market value. The next catalyst is the company's second-quarter fiscal 2026 report on August 27, 2026, and the latest available figures already point to a beat on both sales and profit.
Quarterly numbers set the tone
For the quarter reported on June 2, 2026, Ulta Beauty posted EPS of $7.74, above the $6.89 consensus by $0.85, while revenue reached $3.16 billion versus $3.12 billion expected. Revenue was up 11.1% from $2.84 billion in the same quarter a year earlier, a comparison that shows the business is still growing faster than the market had been modeling.
MarketBeat's earnings coverage also put net margin at 9.36% and return on equity at 44.77% for that period. Fiscal 2026 guidance stands at 28.360 to 28.800 EPS, which frames August 27, 2026 as more than a routine update.
Analysts lean positive
Investing.com reported on August 24, 2026 that Canaccord Genuity kept a Buy rating and a $731 price target, while UBS also reiterated Buy with a $735 target. Those calls sit well above the current share price and reinforce how much optimism is already built into the stock.
Consensus is still moving higher too, with one earnings tracker showing the current-quarter estimate at $6.20 a share, up 0.5% over the past seven days. That trend matters because the company has already delivered a quarter with an EPS beat of 12.3% versus consensus, based on the $0.85 gap between $7.74 and $6.89.
What matters next
Bloomberg Intelligence said on August 24, 2026 that Ulta Beauty's fiscal second-quarter revenue growth likely exceeded the 5% average implied by full-year guidance, helped by incremental Space NK revenue. That gives the August 27 release a clear test: whether Ulta can keep growth, margins, and guidance pointed in the same direction.
Product and brand mix
Ulta Beauty's store floor still leans on prestige cosmetics, skincare, fragrance, and hair care, the categories that the company says drive its beauty retail model. The mix matters because the latest quarter paired $3.16 billion in sales with a 9.36% net margin, showing how merchandising and profitability are still linked.
Stock level
Ulta Beauty shares were $538.76 on August 24, 2026, with the stock trading below the $714.97 52-week high cited in market coverage. The market cap stood at $23.16 billion, a size that leaves the post-earnings reaction sensitive to even small changes in guidance or margin outlook.
Company
Company: Ulta Beauty, Inc.
ISIN: US90384S3031
Ticker: ULTA
Exchange: NASDAQ
Sector / Industry: Consumer Discretionary / Specialty Retail
Index membership: Nasdaq-100
Price (as of August 24, 2026, 4:00 p.m. ET): $538.76 USD
Market cap: $23.16 billion (as of August 25, 2026)
Next earnings date: August 27, 2026
