Ulta Beauty reported an EPS of $4.56 on revenues of $1.97 billion. Both figures topped the $2.59 earnings per share and $1.76 billion revenue estimate. The revenue beat was driven by a 52.5% increase in transactions and a 26.7% growth in how much people spent on average.
“This performance reflects the recovery of the beauty category, investments and choices we’ve made over the last year to adapt to the market disruption and strengthen our leadership position, and the ongoing efforts of our associates to deliver great experiences for our guests,” stated Dave Kimbell, Ulta Beauty CEO.
The retailer opened seven new stores during the quarter and closed one, planning to open 44 net new others this year.
As expected, the store traffic in the quarter was higher than what Ulta reported in Q1. Still, it lagged behind 2019 levels. Moreover, e-commerce sales fell from the year-ago period, as COVID-19 restrictions eased and vaccinated customers became more comfortable shopping in person.
For the full year, Ulta expects sales figures to come in at a high of $8.3 billion, with an EPS as high as $14.70.
After the news hit the wires, Ulta shares rose more than 5%, jumping to a 52-week high. Year to date, the company’s stock price went up 36%, pushing the market cap at nearly $21.4 billion.
Sources: cnbc.com, thestreet.com