Ulta Beauty's Gross Margin Jumps to 39.2% in Q2: What's Next for ULTA?

Ulta Beauty, Inc.’s ULTA second quarter of fiscal 2025 spotlighted a crucial improvement in profitability metrics as the gross margin climbed 90 basis points to 39.2% from 38.3% in the prior year. The gain was attributed mainly to reduced inventory shrink and stronger merchandise margin, partially offset by supply-chain fixed cost deleverage and lower other revenues.

Management credited the margin boost to disciplined execution on inventory control and refined promotional strategies. Shrink reduction was broad-based, with every category and region seeing improvement. Merchandise margin expansion stemmed from a more effective promotional calendar, which helped create a more profitable sales mix without hurting customer value.

While the gross margin uptick reflects operational discipline and sharper marketing execution, the company did face cost pressures elsewhere. Supply-chain fixed costs rose due to higher wage rates and depreciation tied to ongoing optimization projects. However, the benefits from lower shrink and enhanced merchandising effectiveness outweighed increased expenses for the quarter.

Ulta Beauty’s gross profit for the second quarter rose 11.6% to $1.1 billion. However, selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses increased 15% to $741.7 million from $644.8 million reported in the prior-year quarter. As a percentage of net sales, SG&A expenses increased to 26.6% from 25.3%. This rise was due to the increased incentive compensation, store payroll and benefits and corporate overhead.

Management indicated that for the full year, the gross margin could see some deleverage, primarily from occupancy and supply-chain costs, partially mitigated by continued improvements in shrink. The company’s ability to sustain margin growth in the coming quarters will depend on maintaining these efficiency gains while navigating cost and consumer dynamics.  

Shares of this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company have rallied 18.8% in the past three months compared with the industry’s growth of 1.8%.

Retail Stocks to Consider

Petco Health and Wellness Company, Inc. WOOF operates as a health and wellness company that focuses on enhancing the lives of pets, pet parents and its Petco partners. It sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present. WOOF delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 170.8%, on average. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Petco Health and Wellness’ current fiscal-year earnings indicates growth of 250% from the prior-year level.

Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc. SBH operates as a specialty retailer and distributor of professional beauty supplies. It currently carries a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy). SBH delivered a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 8.3%. 

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Sally Beauty’s current fiscal-year earnings indicates growth of 8.9%, from the year-ago actuals.

The TJX Companies, Inc. TJX, an off-price retailer, currently carries a Zacks Rank #2. TJX delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 5.4%, on average.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for The TJX Companies’ current financial-year sales and earnings calls for growth of 6.5% and 8.9%, respectively, from the year-ago reported numbers.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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