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ULULTA

Ulta Beauty, Inc.

$ULTA·$24B·Specialty Retail·Consumer Cyclical
$535.63-1.1%YTD-9.4%1Y+3.9%
Price updated 1m ago·X counts updated 2d ago
ULULTA
$ULTAUlta Beauty, Inc.
$535.63-1.15%39 posts0.9×
AI analysisFundamentalsVoices on X
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On X

The complete picture of $ULTA on X — how loud the conversation is right now, how it has trended over the last two weeks, and which way the crowd is leaning.

39X posts · last 7 days
Aug 27Sep 9
Chatter Meter
0.9×
QuietNormal · 1×Loud

How loud $ULTA's conversation on X is versus its own normal — 1× is typical, higher means busier. Right now it's about its usual level.

Bullish sentimentAI analysisGenerated by AI from underlying data25 posts analyzed · as of 2026-09-03

Ulta beat Q2 with EPS $6.55 vs $6.18, sales $3.04B vs $2.96B, comps +3.8%, and raised FY26 EPS to $28.70-$29.00 and buyback to $1.80B from $1.50B. Elf and Estée Lauder read-throughs confirming beauty demand. One flag about suspected earnings hack pre-print but core fundamentals speak for themselves. Bulls loud.

Read what X is saying about $ULTA

  • Bullish vs bearish call — with the AI summary of the day's posts
  • Divergence flag when the top-engagement posts argue the other side
  • How loud the conversation is versus this ticker's own normal
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AI verdictAI analysisGenerated by AI from underlying data

TickerTalks' own read on what's driving $ULTA — fundamentals, momentum, or an event — and whether it agrees with the X crowd.

Proven numbersCooling offAI verdict · as of 2026-09-11

Catching its breath after a run — could pick back up or fade from here.

Ulta beat Q2 with EPS $6.55 and raised FY guide plus buyback to $1.80B — coiled at 34% of 52-week range.

Ulta Beauty is the largest US specialty-beauty retailer — a real business at PE 17 with 11% Q1 revenue growth and 14% operating margin. Q2 beat expectations, guidance was raised, and the buyback expanded to $1.80B — the tape is still cooled off earlier-2026 highs.

  • The mechanics are strong: Q1 revenue grew 11.1% YoY at 39% gross margin and 14% operating margin — those are healthy beauty-retail numbers, and the FY26 EPS consensus supports PE 17.2 with substantial cushion.
  • The Q2 print exceeded expectations: EPS $6.55 vs $6.18 consensus, sales $3.04B vs $2.96B, comps +3.8%, FY26 EPS raised to $28.70-$29.00 and buyback raised to $1.80B from $1.50B — that's a clean beat-and-raise.
  • The technicals are cooled but positive: at 34% of the 52-week range, above the 50-day by 5% but below the 200-day by 3.8% — real accumulation flow after the Q2 print, but not yet fully priced.

The setup extends if Dec 3 Q3 earnings confirms comp growth stays above 3% AND buyback execution continues. A soft comp print or a large beauty-competitor disruption (Elf/Estée Lauder) is what would break the accelerating leg; expanded FY guide plus continued buyback pace is the extension trigger.

Agrees with X sentimentX frames Ulta with EPS $6.55 vs $6.18 consensus, sales $3.04B vs $2.96B, comps +3.8%, FY26 EPS raised to $28.70-$29.00 and buyback raised to $1.80B from $1.50B. Elf and Estée Lauder read-throughs confirm beauty demand. The mechanics support the read: real beat-and-raise plus expanded capital returns.

What to watch: Dec 3 Q3 earnings — same-store comp growth (needs to stay above 3%), buyback pace, and any explicit FY27 guidance. A soft comp print or beauty-competitor disruption is what breaks the setup; expanded FY guide plus continued buyback pace is the extension trigger.

On the calendar: 2026-12-03 — Q3 earnings

Read the AI verdict on $ULTA

  • One-line verdict on what's driving the move — fundamentals, momentum, both, or an event
  • Next dated catalyst when there is one (earnings, deal closing, activist clock)
  • Whether TickerTalks' read agrees with or diverges from the X crowd
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What it does

Plain-English summary of the business — what they sell and how they make money.

US specialty beauty retailer combining drugstore and prestige cosmetics, skincare, and haircare with in-store salon services.

Industry overviewAI analysisGenerated by AI from underlying data

Where Specialty Retail sits in its cycle right now — and what that implies for $ULTA.

Specialty Retail · Consumer Cyclical

Consumer discretionary spending is the underlying cycle — back-to-school traffic is the near-term seasonality anchor, and omnichannel retailers with AI-driven inventory personalization (AMZN, BABA) are widening their share gap versus pure physical players. Value and pet categories are outperforming as consumers trade down in higher-inflation sub-segments.

What this means for $ULTA

Partial — Ulta Beauty's prestige and mass beauty positioning captures spending across income levels; beauty is a relatively resilient discretionary category, though premium SKU mix faces trade-down risk.

Top industry ETF

$XRTSPDR S&P Retail ETF
-0.1%YTD
-3.3%1Y

Fundamentals & catalyst

Profitability, valuation, and the next earnings event — at a glance, with rule-of-thumb signals.

Key ratios

P/E
17.2How much investors are paying per dollar of profit the company actually earned in the last 12 months. Lower means the stock looks cheaper relative to earnings.~15–25 is typical for the S&P 500; high-growth names trade 30+; hyper-growth or speculative can be 100+ or negative.
ROIC
23.9%What percentage return the business earns on every dollar of capital (equity + debt) deployed in operations. The cleanest measure of business quality.Above ~15% is high-quality; consistently above 25% suggests a real moat. Below the company's cost of capital is value-destroying.
Op margin
12.5%Operating profit (after sales, marketing, R&D, and overhead but before interest and taxes) as a percentage of revenue. The clearest view of how well the underlying business is run.Mature business above 20% is healthy; software businesses can run 30%+; commodity / retail businesses operate in single digits.
FCF yield
5.2%Free cash flow (operating cash flow minus capex) divided by the company's market cap. The cash-on-cash return you'd get owning the whole business at today's price.Above ~5% is attractive; below ~2% means you're paying up for growth. Capital-light businesses (software) run higher than capital-heavy ones (utilities).
P/S
1.6Same idea as P/E but per dollar of revenue. Useful for companies that aren't profitable yet, where P/E is meaningless.Under ~2 is cheap; software / SaaS often runs 8–15; well above 20 implies the market is pricing in very high future growth.
ROE
44.8%Net income as a percentage of shareholders' equity. Similar to ROIC but counts only the equity side.Above 20% is strong, but can be inflated by leverage — a heavily indebted company can show high ROE with weak underlying ROIC.
Gross margin
39.3%Revenue minus the direct cost of producing what was sold, as a percentage of revenue. The first read on whether the product is structurally profitable.Software / SaaS is typically 70%+; consumer goods 30–50%; commodity / hardware businesses can be under 20%.
D/E
0.9Total debt divided by shareholders' equity. Measures how much the business runs on borrowed money versus owner capital.Under 1 is conservative; 1–2 is typical for mature businesses; over 2 is leveraged and more sensitive to interest rates.

Past earnings

QuarterReportedActualEstimateSurprise
Q2 2026Aug 27, 2026$6.55$6.22+5.3%
Q1 2026Jun 2, 2026$7.74$6.89+12.3%
Q4 2025Mar 12, 2026$8.01$8.10-1.1%
Q3 2025Dec 4, 2025$5.14$4.61+11.5%
Next earningsThu, Dec 3·consensus EPS $5.60

Quarterly trend

QuarterRevenueYoYGrossOpEPSFCF
Q1 FY26$3.2B+11.1%40.1%14.2%$7.78$203.6M
Q4 FY25$3.9B+11.8%38.1%12.3%$8.04$907.4M
Q3 FY25$2.9B+12.9%40.4%11.0%$5.16$-82.4M
Q2 FY25$2.8B+9.3%39.2%12.6%$5.80$19.6M

Forward consensus

5-year forecast · up to 20 analysts
FYRevenueRangeEPSRangeAnalysts
FY27$13.3B$13.2B – $13.3B$28.98$28.75 – $29.1520
FY28$14.0B$13.8B – $14.1B$32.11$31.58 – $33.0520
FY29$14.7B$14.3B – $14.9B$35.35$32.48 – $36.9312
FY30$15.1B$14.9B – $15.3B$37.44$36.76 – $38.106
FY31$16.4B$16.1B – $16.6B$44.40$43.60 – $45.189

Setup & momentum

Volume, range, and moving-average position — the technical setup driving short-term moves.

Right now

Vol vs 30dToday's traded share volume divided by the average over the prior 30 trading days. ≥3× signals unusual interest; below 1× is quiet.0.9×Today's traded share volume divided by the average over the prior 30 trading days. ≥3× signals unusual interest; below 1× is quiet.
52w rangeWhere the latest close sits between the 52-week low (0%) and high (100%). Above 80% is extended; below 30% is basing or in a downtrend.34%Where the latest close sits between the 52-week low (0%) and high (100%). Above 80% is extended; below 30% is basing or in a downtrend.
vs 50d MALatest close vs the 50-day simple moving average. Positive = short-term trend is up.+5.0%Latest close vs the 50-day simple moving average. Positive = short-term trend is up.
vs 200d MALatest close vs the 200-day simple moving average. Positive = long-term trend is up.-3.8%Latest close vs the 200-day simple moving average. Positive = long-term trend is up.

Float & profile

FloatLow float · 42.8M shFree-float shares — the slice of issued stock actually available to trade. Lower buckets squeeze harder on a catalyst.Traded today1.4% of floatToday's volume as a percent of the free float. Above 5% on a single day is unusually high turnover for the available share count.β0.855-year weekly beta vs the S&P 500. Above 1.5 means the stock typically moves more than the index; below 0.8 moves less.

Insider activity

Recent open-market buys and sells by officers and directors — flagged when multiple insiders cluster.

Recent transactions

SellJun 15George R MrkonicDirector383 sh$182KSellApr 7George R MrkonicDirector452 sh$244K
+ 18 other (16 awards · 2 inkinds) in window

See when $ULTA insiders are putting their own money in

  • Real-time open-market buys and sells from Form 4 filings
  • Cluster-buy detection when multiple insiders pile in at once
  • 30 / 60 / 180-day windows so you can spot building conviction
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SEC filings

Material 8-K, 13D, S-3, and 424B5 events from the last 180 days — the filings that actually move the price.

Recent material filings

3New insider — initial holdingsSep 23
AI summary

Brieane Lee Olson (new Director of Ulta Beauty, Inc.) filed an initial Form 3 as of August 31, 2026, reporting no beneficially owned securities (no direct shares or derivatives). Routine new director initial disclosure; no market transactions.

8-KOfficer or director changeAug 178-K — Item 5.02: Officer or director change · Item 8.01: Other event
AI summary

Ulta Beauty (ULTA) filed an 8-K on August 13, 2026, disclosing a director or officer change (Item 5.02) alongside other events (Item 8.01). Ulta is the largest U.S. specialty beauty retailer with over 1,350 stores and a leading loyalty program of over 40 million members. An executive or board change combined with additional disclosures could reflect a CEO/CFO transition, a new board appointment, or a leadership restructuring linked to the company's strategic reset in response to competitive pressures from Sephora-at-Target expansion and e-commerce. Investors should review which role changed and whether the 8.01 item discloses additional strategic context such as a new cost initiative or shareholder engagement update.

8-KOfficer or director changeJul 148-K — Item 5.02: Officer or director change · Item 7.01: Press release / Reg FD
AI summary

Ulta Beauty, Inc. announced on July 14, 2026, that board director Kelly E. Garcia will transition to the role of Chief Technology Officer effective approximately August 31, 2026, at which point he will resign from the board. The company issued a concurrent press release (Exhibit 99.1). This is a strategic organizational move that elevates technology leadership to the C-suite from within the board, reflecting Ulta's focus on tech-driven retail transformation rather than a routine departure.

8-KOfficer or director changeJun 98-K — Item 5.02: Officer or director change · Item 5.03: Charter amendment · Item 5.07: Shareholder vote
AI summary

Ulta Beauty held its 2026 Annual Meeting on June 9, 2026, at which stockholders approved the 2026 Incentive Award Plan (5,001,201 total shares available: 3,500,000 newly authorized plus 1,501,201 carried over from the prior plan, which is now closed to new grants). The meeting also included director elections and potentially other governance votes (Item 5.07 detail cut off), plus an Item 5.03 charter/bylaws amendment. The new equity plan is mildly dilutive; director elections are routine.

+ 16 other (3 13Gs · 3 proxys · 2 10-Qs · 2 earnings 8-Ks) in window

Recent news

Latest headlines from major outlets, sourced and timestamped — context for whatever just moved.

Ulta Beauty, Inc. (ULTA) Presents at Barclays 19th Annual Global Consumer Staples Conference Transcriptseekingalpha.com·1d agoHere Are Tuesday’s Top Wall Street Analyst Research Calls: Abercrombie & Fitch, Affirm Holdings, Eagle Materials, Klarna Group, Martin Marietta Materials, Oklo, Qualcomm, Robinhood Markets, Ulta Beauty, and More247wallst.com·2d agoUlta Beauty Keeps Growing, But I Am Still Reluctant To Buy - And Here Are The Reasons Whyseekingalpha.com·2d agoUlta Beauty Inc. $ULTA Shares Purchased by California State Teachers Retirement Systemdefenseworld.net·2d agoWalmart, Ulta and Other Retailers That Can Win With AIbarrons.com·3d ago

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Voices on X · last 7 days

No standout posts about $ULTA on X in the last 7 days.

TickerTalks is a research tool, not financial advice. We surface social-attention data; we do not make stock recommendations. Past attention is not predictive of future price movements.

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