Ulta Beauty Posts $8.08 EPS, $3.55B Sales in Q4; Shares Dip on Profit Outlook

Ulta Beauty reported its fourth-quarter earnings, surpassing analysts' expectations with an earnings per share (EPS) of $8.08 against the estimated $7.52, and sales reaching $3.55 billion compared to the forecasted $3.53 billion. The company also projected its full-year 2024 EPS to be between $26.20 and $27.00, with revenue expectations of $11.7 billion to $11.8 billion, both forecasts exceeding analysts' predictions. Despite these positive results and a year-over-year revenue increase of 10.2% to $3.6 billion, and a gross profit increase of 10.6% YoY, Ulta Beauty's shares fell as its profit forecast fell short of expectations. The company noted a softer performance in prestige makeup but attributed it to share loss rather than a category weakness. Analysts remain optimistic about Ulta's growth prospects, highlighting the beauty sector's strength and Ulta's potential for expansion. The diluted EPS saw a 21% increase YoY, with comparable sales growth of 2.5%.