Ulta Beauty Inc (ULTA)

[Maestro111]

Awesome Christmas at Ulta: look at these numbers

Ulta Announces Holiday Sales Results
Date : 01/06/2011 @ 6:55AM
Source : Business Wire
Stock : Ulta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance, Inc. (ULTA)
Quote : 37.18 2.66 (7.71%) @ 7:22AM


Ulta Announces Holiday Sales Results

Ulta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance (MM) (NASDAQ:ULTA)
Intraday Stock Chart
Today : Thursday 6 January 2011
Ulta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance, Inc. (the “Company”) (NASDAQ: ULTA) today announced sales results for the seven-week holiday period from November 14, 2010 to January 1, 2011. This time period corresponds with the Company’s holiday marketing initiatives and represents the seven full weeks beginning the week before Thanksgiving through the end of the week following Christmas.

Total net sales for the seven-week holiday period were $310.4 million, an 18.4% increase from the prior year holiday period of $262.2 million. Comparable store sales for the 2010 holiday period increased 9.5%, as compared to a 7.9% increase during the same period in the prior year. Over a two year period, comparable store sales increased 17.4%.

Chuck Rubin, Ulta’s President and Chief Executive Officer, stated: “We are pleased with our holiday performance. Our strategy included exciting merchandising and marketing programs that delivered new products and great values to our customers, all supported by a terrific shopping environment. Our sales strength was broad based across categories and was achieved primarily through higher traffic as well as slightly higher average ticket. Based on our strong holiday results, we have raised our fourth quarter expectations for sales and earnings.”

Outlook

Driven by favorable holiday sales, the Company is increasing its fourth quarter fiscal 2010 outlook provided in conjunction with its third quarter fiscal 2010 results on December 2, 2010.

The Company now expects fourth quarter fiscal 2010 net sales in the range of $463 million to $467 million, as compared to its previous guidance of $447 million to $456 million. Fourth quarter fiscal 2009 net sales were $396.4 million. Comparable store sales for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2010 are now expected to increase in a range of 8% to 9%, as compared to its previous expectation of 4% to 6%. Fourth quarter fiscal 2009 comparable sales increased 6.2%. This updated sales guidance results in a two year comparable store sales increase of 14.2% to 15.2%.

Income per diluted share for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2010 is now estimated in the range of $0.43 to $0.44, including the previously announced $0.01 per diluted share non-recurring compensation charge. Adjusted income per diluted share, excluding the charge, is expected to be in a range of $0.44 to $0.45. The Company’s previous fourth quarter fiscal 2010 guidance for income per diluted share was $0.39 to $0.41, including the $0.01 charge, and $0.40 to $0.42 per diluted share adjusted for the charge. Fourth quarter fiscal 2009 income per diluted share was $0.34.

About Ulta

Ulta is the largest beauty retailer that provides one-stop shopping for prestige, mass and salon products and salon services in the United States. Ulta provides affordable indulgence to its customers by combining the product breadth, value and convenience of a beauty superstore with the distinctive environment and experience of a specialty retailer. Ulta offers a unique combination of over 21,000 prestige and mass beauty products across the categories of cosmetics, fragrance, haircare, skincare, bath and body products and salon styling tools, as well as salon haircare products. Ulta also offers a full-service salon in all of its stores. The Company currently operates 389 retail stores across 39 states and also distributes its products through the Company’s website: www.ulta.com.