Ulta Beauty stock has declined over 10% in 2026, prompting investors to consider whether this represents a buying opportunity. The company is implementing new strategies to reach customers as it navigates current market challenges.
Ulta Beauty, Inc. Common Stock (ULTA)
Common Stock · Currency in USD · XNAS
Ulta Beauty is the largest specialized beauty retailer in the US with more than 1,500 freestanding stores. The firm offers cosmetics (38% of 2025 sales), fragrances (13%), skin care (24%), and hair care products (19%). It also has salon services, including hair, makeup, skin, and brow, that account for 4% of its revenue and drive customer traffic. Outside of the US, Ulta operates premium beauty retailer Space NK (86 stores at year-end 2025 in the UK and Ireland) and has franchised stores in Mexico, and a joint venture in the Middle East. In addition, Ulta collects royalties through its Target partnership (ending in summer 2026) and credit card revenue. Ulta was founded in 1990 and is based in Bolingbrook, Illinois.
Company Info
SIC5990
Composite FIGIBBG00FWQ4VD6
CIK0001403568
IPOOct 25, 2007
Sectorretail-retail stores, nec
Highlights
Market Cap$23.50B
EPS$23.20
P/E Ratio22.52
Revenue$11.27B
Gross Profit$4.37B
Net Income$1.04B
Employees65,000
WSO43,736,630
Phone630-410-4800
Websitehttps://www.ulta.com
Related Tickers
Analysis
Share Price Chart
Performance Chart
The chart shows the growth of an initial investment of $10,000 in Ulta Beauty, Inc. Common Stock, comparing it to the performance of the S&P 500 index.
All prices have been adjusted for splits and dividends.
Returns By Period
Ulta Beauty, Inc. Common Stock (ULTA) has returned -11.34% so far this year and 54.64% over the past 12 months. Looking at the last ten years, ULTA has achieved an annualized return of 10.69%, underperforming the Benchmark (SPY), which averaged 12.23% per year.
ULTA
1M-18.32%
6M-3.86%
YTD-11.34%
1Y54.64%
5Y10.72%
10Y10.69%
Benchmark (SPY)
1M-3.85%
6M-2.35%
YTD-4.36%
1Y34.06%
5Y9.80%
10Y12.23%
Monthly Returns
The table below presents the monthly returns of Ulta Beauty, Inc. Common Stock (ULTA) with color gradation from worst to best to easily spot seasonal factors.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 6.80% | 5.83% | -23.22% | 2.00% | ||||||||
| 2025 | -5.21% | -9.43% | 0.37% | 4.94% | 19.57% | 0.55% | 9.95% | -3.89% | 11.30% | -4.92% | 3.61% | 12.37% |
| 2024 | 3.46% | 8.29% | -4.64% | -22.27% | -2.00% | -2.16% | -5.44% | -3.24% | 10.55% | -4.45% | 4.42% | 12.76% |
| 2023 | 9.43% | 1.35% | 5.75% | 0.88% | -25.72% | 15.31% | -5.46% | -6.73% | -4.21% | -5.17% | 12.39% | 3.11% |
| 2022 | -12.08% | 2.78% | 6.99% | -0.55% | 6.14% | -9.02% | 1.83% | 7.96% | -4.44% | 4.06% | 9.50% | -0.30% |
| 2021 | -2.58% | 14.29% | -5.39% | 5.75% | 4.53% | -0.27% | -3.22% | 14.76% | -7.34% | 1.50% | 4.01% | 5.70% |
| 2020 | 5.34% | -5.83% | -31.46% | 29.76% | 14.61% | -17.47% | -4.75% | 20.21% | -2.84% | -8.90% | 31.77% | 4.86% |
| 2019 | 21.65% | 6.88% | 10.49% | -0.72% | -4.15% | 3.89% | -0.37% | -31.83% | 7.09% | -8.01% | -0.55% | 8.47% |
| 2018 | -1.04% | -7.82% | 0.32% | 22.83% | -2.04% | -1.07% | 5.74% | 6.59% | 8.51% | -3.38% | 7.93% | -19.43% |
| 2017 | 6.28% | 0.39% | 3.12% | -1.43% | 8.18% | -5.62% | -12.68% | -12.69% | 2.23% | -11.08% | 8.79% | 7.49% |
| 2016 | 8.13% | 11.87% | 4.44% | 7.55% | -5.71% | -3.52% | 2.76% | 6.87% | -1.89% |
Performance Indicators
The charts below present risk-adjusted performance metrics for Ulta Beauty, Inc. Common Stock (ULTA) and compare them to a Benchmark (SPY). These indicators evaluate an investment's returns against its associated risks.
Sharpe ratio
Sortino ratio
Omega ratio
Calmar ratio
Martin ratio
sharpe ratio
The Sharpe ratio helps investors understand how much return they're getting for the level of risk taken. A higher Sharpe ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance, meaning more reward for each unit of risk.
These values reflect how efficiently the investment has delivered returns relative to its volatility over different time periods. All figures are annualized and based on daily total returns.
The chart below shows the rolling Sharpe ratio of ULTA compared to the benchmark. This view highlights how the investment's risk-adjusted performance has changed over time.
Volatility Chart
The current Ulta Beauty, Inc. Common Stock volatility is 3.51%, representing the standart deviation of percentage change in the investments's value, either up or down over the past month. The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.
Drawdowns Chart
The Drawdowns chart displays portfolio losses from any high point along the way. It shows the maximum percentage drop from a peak to a trough over a specified period, indicating the risk of significant losses.
Although chart shows positive values, it represents the percentage drop from the peak, so a value of 10% means the portfolio has dropped 10% from its highest point.
Income Statement
The income statement provides a summary of a company's revenues, expenses, and profits over a specific period. It shows how much money the company earned (revenues) and how much it spent (expenses), leading to the net income or profit. This statement is crucial for understanding a company's financial performance and profitability.
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liabilities And Equity (USD) | 7.00B | 6.00B | 5.71B | 5.37B | 4.76B | 5.09B | 4.86B | 3.19B | 2.91B | 2.55B | 2.23B | 1.98B | 1.60B | 1.28B | 957.22M |
| Equity Attributable To Parent (USD) | 2.80B | 2.49B | 2.28B | 1.96B | 1.54B | 2.00B | 1.90B | 1.82B | 1.77B | 1.55B | 1.44B | 1.25B | 1.00B | 786.94M | 584.70M |
| Equity Attributable To Noncontrolling Interest (USD) | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Equity (USD) | 2.80B | 2.49B | 2.28B | 1.96B | 1.54B | 2.00B | 1.90B | 1.82B | 1.77B | 1.55B | 1.44B | 1.25B | 1.00B | 786.94M | 584.70M |
| Noncurrent Liabilities (USD) | 1.97B | 1.73B | 1.77B | 1.73B | 1.67B | 1.75B | 1.82B | 547.22M | 492.30M | 472.32M | 391.81M | 376.07M | 332.82M | 267.24M | 207.66M |
| Other Current Liabilities (USD) | 1.29B | 1.07B | 963.31M | 938.42M | 847.26M | 722.67M | 645.82M | 323.70M | 233.82M | 269.83M | 200.05M | 168.82M | 118.53M | 102.18M | 78.41M |
| Wages (USD) | 248.94M | 148.53M | 150.88M | 183.83M | 158.02M | 143.99M | 77.44M | 96.02M | 82.59M | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Accounts Payable (USD) | 685.89M | 563.76M | 544.00M | 559.53M | 552.73M | 477.05M | 414.01M | 404.02M | 325.76M | 259.52M | 196.17M | 190.78M | 148.28M | 118.89M | 86.44M |
| Current Liabilities (USD) | 2.22B | 1.78B | 1.66B | 1.68B | 1.56B | 1.34B | 1.14B | 823.74M | 642.17M | 529.34M | 396.23M | 359.59M | 266.81M | 221.07M | 164.86M |
| Liabilities (USD) | 4.20B | 3.51B | 3.43B | 3.41B | 3.23B | 3.09B | 2.96B | 1.37B | 1.13B | 1.00B | 788.03M | 735.66M | 599.63M | 488.31M | 372.51M |
| Other Non-current Assets (USD) | 2.42B | 1.73B | 1.69B | 1.65B | 1.57B | 1.58B | 1.60B | 45.97M | 25.49M | 11.28M | 8.15M | 5.66M | 4.29M | 2.87M | - |
| Intangible Assets (USD) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 3.39M | 4.32M | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Fixed Assets (USD) | 1.43B | 1.24B | 1.18B | 1.01B | 914.48M | 995.80M | 1.21B | 1.23B | 1.19B | 1.00B | 847.60M | 717.16M | 595.74M | 483.06M | 376.99M |
| Noncurrent Assets (USD) | 3.86B | 2.97B | 2.87B | 2.66B | 2.48B | 2.58B | 2.81B | 1.28B | 1.21B | 1.02B | 855.75M | 722.82M | 600.03M | 485.93M | 376.99M |
| Other Current Assets (USD) | 2.85B | 2.81B | 2.63B | 2.51B | 2.05B | 2.32B | 1.92B | 1.78B | 1.59B | 1.45B | 1.31B | 1.21B | 955.65M | 747.81M | 554.08M |
| Accounts Receivable (USD) | 296.22M | 223.33M | 207.94M | 199.42M | 233.68M | 193.11M | 139.34M | 136.17M | 99.72M | 88.63M | 64.99M | 52.44M | 47.05M | 41.52M | 26.15M |
| Current Assets (USD) | 3.14B | 3.03B | 2.84B | 2.71B | 2.28B | 2.51B | 2.06B | 1.91B | 1.69B | 1.54B | 1.38B | 1.26B | 1.00B | 789.32M | 580.23M |
| Assets (USD) | 7.00B | 6.00B | 5.71B | 5.37B | 4.76B | 5.09B | 4.86B | 3.19B | 2.91B | 2.55B | 2.23B | 1.98B | 1.60B | 1.28B | 957.22M |
News and Insights
Ten large-cap stocks experienced significant declines during the week of March 9-13, 2026. Fair Isaac Corporation led losses with a 21.59% drop following a $1 billion senior notes offering announcement. Other major decliners included Centene (20.85%), Ulta Beauty (16.04%), Paramount Skydance (15.4%), and Thomson Reuters (13.97%). Declines were attributed to factors including disappointing earnings guidance, analyst downgrades, and broader market pressures across healthcare, beauty, media, and aviation sectors.
U.S. equities traded mixed Friday as markets grappled with a downward GDP revision to 0.7% annualized growth and sticky inflation at 3.1%, reigniting stagflation concerns. Oil tensions with Iran kept crude elevated while the Dow rose 0.3%, the S&P 500 held flat, and the Nasdaq was little changed. Individual earnings results drove significant stock movements, with Ulta Beauty plunging 11.3% on weak guidance and Adobe falling 6.4% on conservative outlook and CEO departure.
Ulta Beauty reported Q4 earnings of $8.01 per share and sales of $3.898 billion, both beating analyst estimates. However, the stock fell 8.63% in extended trading. The company provided fiscal 2026 guidance with EPS of $28.05-$28.55 and revenue of $13.14-$13.26 billion, slightly above consensus. The decline despite the beat was driven by concerns over rising SG&A expenses, which increased 23% year-over-year.
Earnings season continues strong this week with major tech and retail companies reporting. Key focus areas include Oracle's Cloud Infrastructure momentum and $523 billion contract backlog, Adobe's generative AI features driving growth, and whether companies can maintain profitability amid cautious consumer spending. Notable reporters include Dick's Sporting Goods, Ulta Beauty, UiPath, and Dollar General.
Questex announced the merger of The International Beauty Show (IBS) and International Esthetics, Cosmetics & Spa Conference (IECSC) into a unified Beauty and Wellness Show New York, taking place March 8-10, 2026 at the Javits Center. The event will feature 600+ exhibitors across specialized neighborhoods including hair, spa, nails, cosmetics, and tech sectors, with live demonstrations, competitions, and networking opportunities for beauty and wellness professionals.
e.l.f. Beauty reported strong fiscal Q3 results with 38% sales growth and 68% EPS growth, beating analyst estimates, and raised full-year guidance. Despite excellent results, the stock experienced an intraday reversal and declined. The author views this as a buying opportunity, citing the company's undervaluation at a forward P/E of 22x and PEG ratio of 0.4, with Rhode brand expansion still in early stages.
e.l.f. Beauty stock has declined 40% from its highs but presents a buying opportunity due to strong long-term growth prospects. The company continues gaining market share in mass cosmetics through its fast-follower strategy and influencer marketing, while its acquisition of premium skincare brand Rhode provides a significant new growth driver. Despite near-term headwinds from tariffs and inventory stocking, underlying U.S. consumption growth remains robust at 12%, and the stock now trades at an attractive valuation with a forward P/E of 26.5 and PEG ratio below 0.5.
Ulta Beauty announced its first store opening in the United Arab Emirates at Mall of the Emirates on January 29, 2026, in partnership with Alshaya Group. This expansion follows the company's first Middle East store in Kuwait (November 2025) and will be followed by additional locations at Dubai Mall and Red Sea Mall in Jeddah later in 2026. The store will feature makeup, skincare, haircare, fragrance, and beauty services from prestige, mass, and emerging brands.
Up 40% In 2025, Warren Buffett Sold This Top Stock Before Its Hot Streak. Is It Too Late To Buy Now?positive
Warren Buffett sold nearly all of his Ulta Beauty stake in Q3 2024 after a brief 6-month investment, missing out on a 40% surge in 2025. The stock would have been Berkshire Hathaway's best performer that year had it not been sold. Under new CEO Kecia Steelman's turnaround plan, Ulta Beauty has shown strong growth with 13% net sales increases and raised guidance, suggesting the stock may still be worth considering despite recent gains.