Ulta Beauty, Inc. (ULTA)
Ulta Beauty is a major American retailer that brings together high-end cosmetics, affordable drugstore brands, and professional salon services under one roof.
Is Ulta Beauty, Inc. a good stock for a UK beginner?
The honest version: There's no rating here and nothing for sale. In its favour: Strong brand recognition in the US beauty market. Worth weighing: No dividend payments for shareholders.
Is this normal for this company?
Each figure against the range this same company has produced recently. Neither end of a range is the good end.
Share price divided by the earnings actually reported over the four most recent quarters. The range is the same calculation at each of this company's last few results, so roughly the past year.
Profit as a share of sales, from the company's own quarterly statements. The range covers the 5 quarters we hold, and the figure shown is its most recent one.
How these ranges are built
Every number here is the company's own reported figure, not a comparison with other companies. The ranges come from this company's own results and its share price. Where it reports in a different currency from the one its shares trade in, the price-to-earnings range is left out rather than mixing the two.
What does Ulta Beauty, Inc. do?
Ulta operates a unique 'all things beauty' model, selling everything from luxury perfumes to everyday shampoo while offering hair and skin treatments in-store. Acting as a one-stop shop for beauty enthusiasts, it earns by encouraging customers to browse both premium and budget-friendly items during a single visit. What matters most is how they hold onto their popularity as competition from other retailers and online beauty platforms heats up.
On our factor screen it looks strongest on quality and growth, and weakest on income.
- !Pays no dividend - the whole return rides on the share price
- ✓Growing - revenue up about 11% over the year
- ✓Strong return on shareholder money (ROE 47%)
- —
- Income screens low
Does Ulta Beauty, Inc. pay a dividend?
No - Ulta Beauty, Inc. doesn't currently pay a dividend, so the whole return would rest on the share price. Plenty of growing companies reinvest their profits instead of paying them out - neither approach is better or worse, they're just different.
Does Ulta Beauty, Inc. have more cash or more debt?
It holds about $221.30M in cash against about $2.30B of debt - so it has net debt of about $2.08B. Debt is not automatically a problem - it funds growth - but it has to be serviced and repaid, which matters more when profits wobble.
From the latest reported balance sheet. Cash and debt levels change, and some borrowing is normal - this is context, not a judgment.
What do Ulta Beauty, Inc.'s numbers mean?
How has it performed?
Growth of £1,000, the worst fall, and year by year
Over about 2 years to 2026-09-11. This is the share price only; any dividends would add to it. And it's the USD return - as a UK investor your actual £ return also moves with the exchange rate. Past performance is not a guide to the future, and it could just as easily have fallen.
How much has Ulta Beauty, Inc. actually fallen?
Over the last 2 years of daily prices, Ulta Beauty, Inc. fell as much as −36% from a high to a later low. Falls like this are normal when you own a share.
Past falls are not a forecast - it can fall further, or recover.
How has it done year by year?
Calendar-year total return - the share price with dividends reinvested - from adjusted closing prices. The current year is only part-complete. Past returns are not a guide to the future.
A closer look at the numbers
Ownership, earnings history, where the money goes, and the outlook range
Does the share price tell you if it's cheap or expensive?
Based on beta - how much the price swings versus the whole market. Bumpier isn't bad; it just means a rougher ride, which matters more the sooner you might need the money.
Prices move on results, news and the mood of the whole market - no single headline explains a day, and a quiet week is usually just noise, not a signal.
How much money does Ulta Beauty, Inc. make?
Revenue and profit by quarter, and how much of each sale turns into profit.
Where does each £100 of Ulta Beauty, Inc.'s sales go?
A rough split of the latest full-year figures: of every £100 of sales, about £57 covers making the product or service, £34 goes on running costs, tax and interest, and about £9 is left as profit. Margins vary a lot by industry, and one-off items can distort a single year.
When does Ulta Beauty, Inc. report earnings, and how did recent quarters go?
Ulta Beauty, Inc. is next scheduled to report on about 2026-12-03 - dates can move, and we don't predict results; this just tells you when to look.
‘Beat’ and ‘missed’ are against what analysts expected, not whether the business is doing well.
| Reported | Expected EPS: The earnings per share analysts expected for the quarter - the average of their forecasts. 'Beating' or 'missing' is measured against this number. | Actual EPS | vs expected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-27 | $6.20 | $6.55 | Beat +6% |
| 2026-06-02 | $6.89 | $7.74 | Beat +12% |
| 2026-03-12 | $8.03 | $8.01 | In line |
| 2025-12-04 | $4.61 | $5.14 | Beat +12% |
| 2025-08-28 | $5.10 | $5.78 | Beat +13% |
| 2025-05-29 | $5.80 | $6.70 | Beat +16% |
Across the last 6 quarters here, Ulta Beauty, Inc. came in ahead of what analysts expected 5 times. One quarter is noise, not a trend.
See who else reports over the next two weeks →
Where these figures come from
Each quarter a company reports its results against a consensus of analyst forecasts. The figures here are reported versus expected earnings per share from published results; the expectation is that analyst consensus, not our view. Report dates are estimates and can move.
What are the scenarios for Ulta Beauty, Inc.?
An illustrative range for the year ahead — not a prediction or a price target.
What are the pros, cons and common questions?
The case each way, and the questions people ask
Dominance in the beauty retail sector and successful digital integration.
Long-term shift in consumer habits away from physical retail stores.
What are the pros and cons of Ulta Beauty, Inc.?
A balance check, not a score or verdict.
- Strong brand recognition in the US beauty market
- High return on equity: How much profit the company makes for each £1 shareholders have put in. Higher usually means a more efficient business. shows efficient use of capital
- Diverse product range covering both luxury and budget segments
- No dividend payments for shareholders
- High price-to-book: The share price versus the company's net assets per share (its book value). Under 1 can look cheap, though it varies a lot by industry. ratio suggests a premium valuation
- Operates in a highly competitive retail environment
- Changes in consumer fashion and beauty trends
- Economic downturns reducing spending on non-essential items
- Rising costs of goods and store operations
The write-up's own warning lights — if these start happening, the case above changes.
- A significant and sustained decline in quarterly revenue growth
- Loss of key brand partnerships that drive store traffic
Common questions about Ulta Beauty, Inc.
Does Ulta Beauty, Inc. pay a dividend?
No - Ulta Beauty, Inc. does not currently pay a dividend, so the return would rest on the share price. Many growing companies reinvest profits instead of paying them out.
When does Ulta Beauty, Inc. report earnings next?
Ulta Beauty, Inc. is next scheduled to report results on about 2026-12-03. Report dates are estimates and can move; this is a diary note for when to look, not a forecast of the outcome.
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NVR, Inc.Built from public filings & market prices, checked for an education-only tone, and never a price target. How we make these →
This plain-English summary was auto-generated on 2026-08-02 from public data and checked for an education-only, no-advice tone (the figures above carry their own, usually fresher, 'as of' date). It's information, never a recommendation.