Ulta Beauty Beats Q2, Raises FY26 Guidance and Boosts Buyback to $1.8B
ULTA sits 25% above its 52-week low of $443.6.
Summary
Ulta Beauty beat Q2 FY2026 expectations, raised full-year guidance, and increased its fiscal 2026 buyback plan to $1.8 billion.
Key Events · Earnings and Guidance · ULTA
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Q2 Beat on Sales and EPS
Net sales rose 8.9% to $3.04 billion and diluted EPS rose 13.3% to $6.55, with comparable sales up 3.8%.
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Full-Year Guidance Raised
FY2026 net sales growth raised to 6.7%–7.2%, operating income growth to 8.3%–9.3%, and diluted EPS to $28.70–$29.00.
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Buyback Increased to $1.8B
Fiscal 2026 repurchase plan raised from $1.5 billion to $1.8 billion; company expects to use remaining $1.0 billion under current authorization by year-end.
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Space NK Integration Progress
Gross margin dipped 10 bps to 39.1% due to Space NK business mix, while SG&A leverage improved to 26.4% of sales.
Analysis · ULTA · Trade & Services
Ulta Beauty delivered a strong second quarter with net sales up 8.9% to $3.04 billion and diluted EPS up 13.3% to $6.55, beating expectations. Management raised full-year guidance across the board — net sales growth now 6.7%–7.2%, operating income growth 8.3%–9.3%, and diluted EPS $28.70–$29.00 — and increased the fiscal 2026 stock repurchase plan to $1.8 billion from $1.5 billion. The company also committed to using the remaining $1.0 billion under its current authorization by year-end, a meaningful capital-return signal for a $23 billion retailer.
How filings like this one have moved
In the 30 days to Sep 14, 2026, 35.8% of the 1045 measured filings Wiseek scored 8 moved their stock by 5% or more by the next session's close. The median move was -0.43%. These are measured outcomes after filings of this importance, not a forecast for this one.
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At the time of this filing, ULTA was trading at $555.01 on NASDAQ in the Trade & Services sector, with a market capitalization of approximately $23.2B. The 52-week trading range was $443.60 to $714.97. This filing was assessed with positive market sentiment and an importance score of 8 out of 10.