Ulta Beauty just gave investors a reason to smile. The cosmetics retailer reported first-quarter results after Tuesday's closing bell that easily beat expectations on both the top and bottom lines, sending shares higher in after-hours trading.

Here's a look at the numbers that mattered.

Q1 by the Numbers

Ulta posted quarterly earnings of $7.74 per share, crushing the Street estimate of $6.86 by 12.83%. Revenue came in at $3.16 billion, ahead of the $3.09 billion consensus and up from $2.85 billion in the same period last year.

Breaking down the quarter versus the prior year:

• Net sales increased 11.1% to $3.2 billion, fueled by higher comparable sales, the acquisition of Space NK, and new store openings.
• Comparable sales rose 5.3%, driven by a 3.7% increase in average ticket and a 1.6% increase in transactions.
• Gross profit jumped 13.8% to $1.3 billion, with gross margin expanding to 40.1% from 39.1%, thanks to lower inventory shrink and better merchandise margins.
• Selling, general and administrative expenses increased 14.6% to $814.7 million, primarily due to the Space NK acquisition.

“Fiscal 2026 is off to a strong start, driven by broad-based growth across all channels and major categories,” said Kecia Steelman, CEO of Ulta Beauty. “Our results demonstrate the strengths of our model, focused execution of our talented associates, and the effectiveness of our strategy in an uncertain macroeconomic landscape.”

What's Ahead

Ulta raised its fiscal 2026 GAAP EPS guidance to a range of $28.36 to $28.80, above the $28.42 analyst estimate. The company affirmed its revenue outlook of $13.14 billion to $13.26 billion, in line with the $13.17 billion consensus.

Investors liked what they saw. Ulta Beauty stock climbed 5.43% to $521.95 in Tuesday's extended trading session.