Ulta Beauty's Glow-Up: Retailer Beats Street, Raised Outlook Lifts Shares

Ulta Beauty Inc ULTA shares rallied in early trading on Friday, after the company reported on Thursday upbeat first-quarter results.

Here are some key analyst takeaways:

• Piper Sandler analyst Korinne Wolfmeyer maintained a Neutral rating, while raising the price target from $386 to $437.
• Telsey Advisory Group analyst Dana Telsey reaffirmed an Outperform rating, while raising the price target from $460 to $520.

Check out other analyst stock ratings.

Piper Sandler: Ulta Beauty's comp sales grew 2.9% year-on-year to $2,848 million, beating Street expectations of $2,794 million, Wolfmeyer said in a note. The company's brand engagement efforts seem to be "resonating" and proved effective in the quarter, she added.

Management's full-year guidance reflects the stronger first-quarter beat, while also incorporating more uncertainty in the back half of the year, the analyst stated.

"While it does seem like management is taking a more conservative approach, we appreciate the prudence given the evolving macro backdrop," she further wrote.

Telsey Advisory Group: Ulta Beauty reported earnings of $6.70 per share, beating the consensus estimate of $5.81 per share, despite a challenging consumer environment, Telsey said. Management raised its full-year revenue guidance to $11.5-$11.7 billion, from their prior outlook of $11.5-$11.6 billion, she added.

The company had already indicated that this would be a transitional year, "marked by increased investments to help drive market share gains and long-term profitable growth," the analyst wrote.

ULTA Price Action: Shares of Ulta Beauty had risen by 11.38% to $469.81 at the time of publication on Friday.

Read More:

• Ulta Bets On Category Depth To Build A Retail Media Empire: ‘Beauty And Wellness Is What We Do’

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