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Ulta Beauty rattled investors Thursday after projecting annual earnings below analyst estimates, sending shares tumbling roughly 8% in after-hours trading. The cosmetics giant is ramping up marketing and investment spending to reignite consumer demand in an increasingly competitive beauty retail landscape.
The company delivered stronger-than-expected holiday quarter revenue, but its operating margin contracted sharply to 12.2%, down from 14.8% the prior year. Higher compensation costs and international expansion expenses weighed heavily on profitability, with Morningstar analyst David Swartz flagging the spending uptick as a modest but notable concern.
To attract younger, more affluent shoppers, Ulta has doubled down on celebrity-backed and premium beauty brands, including Beyoncé's Cecred haircare line and Rihanna's Fenty Skin Body. High-profile holiday campaigns featuring Khloé Kardashian and Paris Hilton also reflect the retailer's push to stay culturally relevant and drive foot traffic.
However, the broader consumer environment remains challenging. Lower- and middle-income shoppers continue pulling back on discretionary spending, prioritizing groceries and everyday essentials over beauty and personal care products. This trend has squeezed demand across the specialty retail sector.
Ulta also faces mounting pressure from rivals including Sephora, Amazon, Target, and Walmart, all aggressively expanding their beauty departments and capitalizing on rising demand for K-beauty products. Zacks Investment Research strategist Ethan Feller noted that market leadership alone cannot shield Ulta from valuation compression when its growth profile fails to justify a premium stock price.
Looking ahead, Ulta projects comparable sales growth of 2.5% to 3.5% in fiscal 2026, a meaningful slowdown from the 5.4% gain recorded in 2025. Full-year earnings per share guidance of $28.05 to $28.55 falls slightly short of the $28.40 consensus estimate. Annual net sales growth of 6% to 7% marginally exceeds analyst projections of 5.94%. The company recently expanded internationally by acquiring UK beauty retailer Space NK.
