Are You Expecting This from Ulta?

Updated

Ulta (NAS: ULTA) is expected to report Q3 earnings on Nov. 29. Here's what Wall Street wants to see:

The 10-second takeaway
Comparing the upcoming quarter to the prior-year quarter, average analyst estimates predict Ulta's revenues will grow 22.1% and EPS will expand 33.3%.

The average estimate for revenue is $504.2 million. On the bottom line, the average EPS estimate is $0.56.


Revenue details
Last quarter, Ulta booked revenue of $481.7 million. GAAP reported sales were 22% higher than the prior-year quarter's $394.6 million.

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Quarterly periods. Dollar amounts in millions. Non-GAAP figures may vary to maintain comparability with estimates.

EPS details
Last quarter, EPS came in at $0.54. GAAP EPS of $0.54 for Q2 were 42% higher than the prior-year quarter's $0.38 per share.

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Quarterly periods. Non-GAAP figures may vary to maintain comparability with estimates.

Recent performance
For the preceding quarter, gross margin was 34.8%, 80 basis points better than the prior-year quarter. Operating margin was 11.9%, 180 basis points better than the prior-year quarter. Net margin was 7.3%, 120 basis points better than the prior-year quarter.

Looking ahead

The full year's average estimate for revenue is $2.20 billion. The average EPS estimate is $2.61.

Investor sentiment
The stock has a three-star rating (out of five) at Motley Fool CAPS, with 268 members out of 313 rating the stock outperform, and 45 members rating it underperform. Among 87 CAPS All-Star picks (recommendations by the highest-ranked CAPS members), 74 give Ulta a green thumbs-up, and 13 give it a red thumbs-down.

Of Wall Street recommendations tracked by S&P Capital IQ, the average opinion on Ulta is outperform, with an average price target of $104.67.

If you're invested in retailers like Ulta, you should check out the concept that is The Motley Fool's top stock for 2012. Its founder wrote the book on big box retailing, and it's growing in increasingly important international markets. Click here for instant access to this free report.

The article Are You Expecting This from Ulta? originally appeared on Fool.com.

Seth Jayson had no position in any company mentioned here at the time of publication. You can view his stock holdings here. He is co-advisor ofMotley Fool Hidden Gems, which provides new small-cap ideas every month, backed by a real-money portfolio. The Motley Fool has no positions in the stocks mentioned above. Motley Fool newsletter services recommend Ulta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright © 1995 - 2012 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Advertisement