ULTA Beauty Profit Tops Estimates; Lifts FY Guidance

(RTTNews) - ULTA Beauty (ULTA) on Thursday reported second-quarter net earnings of $74.2 million or $1.15 per share compared with $60.8 million or $0.94 per share last year.

Revenues for the quarter increased 19.4% to $877 million from $734.2 million in the prior year.

Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters estimated earnings of $1.12 per share on revenues of $869.8 million for the quarter. Analysts' estimates typically exclude special items.

Comparable sales increased 10.1% in the quarter.

Gross profit decreased to 34.9% from 35.3% last year.

For the third quarter, the company expects earnings of $1.00 to $1.05 per share on revenues of $869 million to $883 million. Analysts expect earnings of $1.03 per share on revenues of $870.3 million.

For the full year 2015, the company now expects earnings per share growth in the high teens, compared with previous guidance of the high end of the range of 15% to 17%. It now expects comparable sales growth of 8% to 10%, compared with previous guidance of 7% to 9%.