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Beauty and Cosmetics Retailer Stocks Q3 Earnings: Ulta (NASDAQ:ULTA) Best of the Bunch

ULTA Cover Image

As the Q3 earnings season wraps, let’s dig into this quarter’s best and worst performers in the beauty and cosmetics retailer industry, including Ulta (NASDAQ: ULTA) and its peers.

Beauty and cosmetics retailers understand that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but a little lipstick, nail polish, and glowing skin also help the cause. These stores—which mostly cater to consumers but can also garner the attention of salon pros—aim to be a one-stop personal care and beauty products shop with many brands across many categories. E-commerce is changing how consumers buy cosmetics, so these retailers are constantly evolving to meet the customer where and how they want to shop.

The 4 beauty and cosmetics retailer stocks we track reported a satisfactory Q3. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 0.7%.

Luckily, beauty and cosmetics retailer stocks have performed well with share prices up 16.1% on average since the latest earnings results.

Best Q3: Ulta (NASDAQ: ULTA)

Offering high-end prestige brands as well as lower-priced, mass-market ones, Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ: ULTA) is an American retailer that sells makeup, skincare, haircare, and fragrance products.

Ulta reported revenues of $2.86 billion, up 12.9% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 5.2%. Overall, it was an exceptional quarter for the company with a solid beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ revenue estimates.

Ulta Total Revenue

Ulta achieved the biggest analyst estimates beat and highest full-year guidance raise of the whole group. Unsurprisingly, the stock is up 21.3% since reporting and currently trades at $650.14.

We think Ulta is a good business, but is it a buy today? Read our full report here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Sally Beauty (NYSE: SBH)

Catering to both everyday consumers as well as salon professionals, Sally Beauty (NYSE: SBH) is a retailer that sells salon-quality beauty products such as makeup and haircare products.

Sally Beauty reported revenues of $947.1 million, up 1.3% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 1.6%. The business had a very strong quarter with a solid beat of analysts’ EBITDA and EPS estimates.

Sally Beauty Total Revenue

The market seems content with the results as the stock is up 3.7% since reporting. It currently trades at $15.22.

Is now the time to buy Sally Beauty? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Weakest Q3: Bath and Body Works (NYSE: BBWI)

Spun off from L Brands in 2020, Bath & Body Works (NYSE: BBWI) is a personal care and home fragrance retailer where consumers can find specialty shower gels, scented candles for the home, and lotions.

Bath and Body Works reported revenues of $1.59 billion, flat year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 2.7%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted full-year EPS guidance missing analysts’ expectations.

Bath and Body Works delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates and slowest revenue growth in the group. Interestingly, the stock is up 4.3% since the results and currently trades at $21.94.

Read our full analysis of Bath and Body Works’s results here.

Warby Parker (NYSE: WRBY)

Founded in 2010, Warby Parker (NYSE: WRBY) designs, manufactures, and sells eyewear, including prescription glasses, sunglasses, and contact lenses, through its e-commerce platform and physical retail locations.

Warby Parker reported revenues of $221.7 million, up 15.2% year on year. This number lagged analysts' expectations by 1.2%. More broadly, it was a satisfactory quarter as it also logged a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates but full-year revenue guidance missing analysts’ expectations.

Warby Parker pulled off the fastest revenue growth but had the weakest full-year guidance update among its peers. The company reported 2.66 million active customers, up 9.5% year on year. The stock is up 35.3% since reporting and currently trades at $25.78.

Read our full, actionable report on Warby Parker here, it’s free for active Edge members.


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