Upgrade to SI Premium - Free Trial

Ulta Beauty Announces Second Quarter Fiscal 2019 Results

August 29, 2019 4:03 PM

Net Sales Increased 12.0%

Comparable Sales Increased 6.2%

Diluted EPS Increased 12.2% to $2.76

Company Updates Fiscal 2019 Guidance

BOLINGBROOK, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Ulta Beauty, Inc. (NASDAQ: ULTA) today announced financial results for the thirteen week period (“Second Quarter”) and twenty-six week period (“First Six Months”) ended August 3, 2019 compared to the same periods ended August 4, 2018.

“The Ulta Beauty team delivered another quarter of solid top-line performance, gross margin expansion, and double-digit earnings growth,” said Mary Dillon, Chief Executive Officer. “Looking forward, we have updated our fiscal 2019 outlook to reflect the headwinds we are currently seeing in the US cosmetics market. We remain confident that our guest-centric, differentiated business model will drive continued market share gains and strong returns for our shareholders over the long term.”

For the Second Quarter of Fiscal 2019

For the First Six Months of Fiscal 2019

Balance Sheet

Merchandise inventories, net at the end of the second quarter of fiscal 2019 totaled $1,316.0 million compared to $1,219.7 million at the end of the second quarter of fiscal 2018, representing an increase of $96.3 million. The increase in total inventory was driven by 89 net new stores. Average inventory per store was flat compared to the second quarter of fiscal 2018.

The Company ended the second quarter of fiscal 2019 with $327.4 million in cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments.

Recent Accounting Pronouncement – Leases

On February 3, 2019, the Company adopted Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 842 using the modified retrospective approach. The new standard requires leases to be recorded on the balance sheet as lease liabilities with corresponding right-of-use assets. Upon adoption, the Company recognized and measured leases without revising comparative period information or disclosures. The adoption of ASC 842 resulted in the recording of operating lease assets and liabilities of $1.46 billion and $1.84 billion, respectively, as of February 3, 2019. As part of the adoption, the Company recorded an adjustment to retained earnings of $2.4 million.

Share Repurchase Program

During the second quarter of fiscal 2019, the Company repurchased 791,603 shares of its common stock at a cost of $270.9 million. During the first six months of fiscal 2019, the Company repurchased 1,110,034 shares of its common stock at a cost of $378.3 million. As of August 3, 2019, $517.3 million remained available under the $875.0 million share repurchase program announced in March 2019.

Store Expansion

During the second quarter of fiscal 2019, the Company opened 20 stores located in Bridgehampton, NY; Buena Park, CA; Collierville, TN; Colorado Springs, CO; Dallas, TX; Granbury, TX; Hamden, CT; Hilliard, OH; Lewiston, ID; Moses Lake, WA; Porter Ranch, CA; Reno, NV; Rio Grande, NJ; San Antonio, TX; San Ramon, CA; Sugar Land, TX; Terrell, TX; Trinity, FL; Troy, MI; and Wylie, TX. In addition, the Company closed three stores.

The Company ended the second quarter of fiscal 2019 with 1,213 stores and square footage of 12,753,598, representing a 7.9% increase in square footage compared to the second quarter of fiscal 2018.

Outlook

The Company has updated its fiscal 2019 outlook to reflect anticipated industry-wide sales headwinds in cosmetics and currently expects to:

As previously discussed, to more closely align with industry practices the Company no longer provides a quarterly outlook. The Company will continue to provide an annual outlook, which it will update on a quarterly basis, as appropriate.

Conference Call Information

A conference call to discuss second quarter of fiscal 2019 results is scheduled for today, August 29, 2019, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time / 4:00 p.m. Central Time. Investors and analysts interested in participating in the call are invited to dial (877) 705‑6003. The conference call will also be webcast live at http://ir.ultabeauty.com. A replay of the webcast will remain available for 90 days. A replay of the conference call will be available until 11:59 p.m. ET on September 12, 2019 and can be accessed by dialing (844) 512‑2921 and entering conference ID number 13693346.

About Ulta Beauty

At Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ: ULTA), the possibilities are beautiful. Ulta Beauty is the largest U.S. beauty retailer and the premier beauty destination for cosmetics, fragrance, skin care products, hair care products and salon services. In 1990, the Company reinvented the beauty retail experience by offering a new way to shop for beauty – bringing together all things beauty, all in one place. Today, Ulta Beauty has grown to become the top national retailer offering the complete beauty experience.

Ulta Beauty brings possibilities to life through the power of beauty each and every day in our stores and online with more than 25,000 products from approximately 500 well-established and emerging beauty brands across all categories and price points, including Ulta Beauty’s own private label. Ulta Beauty also offers a full-service salon in every store featuring hair, skin, brow, and make-up services.

Ulta Beauty is recognized for its commitment to personalized service, fun and inviting stores and our industry-leading Ultamate Rewards loyalty program. As of August 3, 2019, Ulta Beauty operates 1,213 retail stores across 50 states and also distributes its products through its website, which includes a collection of tips, tutorials, and social content. For more information, visit www.ulta.com.

Forward‑Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which reflect our current views with respect to, among other things, future events and financial performance. You can identify these forward-looking statements by the use of forward-looking words such as “outlook,” “believes,” “expects,” “plans,” “estimates,” “targets,” “strategies” or other comparable words. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based upon our historical performance and on current plans, estimates and expectations. The inclusion of this forward-looking information should not be regarded as a representation by us or any other person that the future plans, estimates, targets, strategies or expectations contemplated by us will be achieved. Such forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, which include, without limitation: changes in the overall level of consumer spending and volatility in the economy; the possibility that we may be unable to compete effectively in our highly competitive markets; the possibility that the capacity of our distribution and order fulfillment infrastructure and the performance of our newly opened and to be opened distribution centers may not be adequate to support our recent growth and expected future growth plans; our ability to sustain our growth plans and successfully implement our long-range strategic and financial plan; the ability to execute our Efficiencies for Growth cost optimization program; the possibility that cybersecurity breaches and other disruptions could compromise our information or result in the unauthorized disclosure of confidential information; the possibility of material disruptions to our information systems; our ability to gauge beauty trends and react to changing consumer preferences in a timely manner; changes in the wholesale cost of our products; the possibility that new store openings and existing locations may be impacted by developer or co-tenant issues; our ability to attract and retain key executive personnel; natural disasters that could negatively impact sales; our ability to successfully execute our common stock repurchase program or implement future common stock repurchase programs; and other risk factors detailed in our public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including risk factors contained in our Annual Report on Form 10‑K for the fiscal year ended February 2, 2019, as such may be amended or supplemented in our subsequently filed Quarterly Reports on Form 10‑Q. Our filings with the SEC are available at www.sec.gov. Except to the extent required by the federal securities laws, the Company does not undertake to publicly update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Exhibit 1

Ulta Beauty, Inc.

Consolidated Statements of Income

(In thousands, except per share data)

13 Weeks Ended

August 3,

August 4,

2019

2018

(Unaudited)

(Unaudited)

Net sales

$

1,666,607

100.0

%

$

1,488,221

100.0

%

Cost of sales

1,060,708

63.6

%

952,760

64.0

%

Gross profit

605,899

36.4

%

535,461

36.0

%

Selling, general and administrative expenses

392,843

23.6

%

337,142

22.7

%

Pre-opening expenses

5,038

0.3

%

4,504

0.3

%

Operating income

208,018

12.5

%

193,815

13.0

%

Interest income, net

(1,671

)

0.1

%

(1,143

)

0.1

%

Income before income taxes

209,689

12.6

%

194,958

13.1

%

Income tax expense

48,431

2.9

%

46,635

3.1

%

Net income

$

161,258

9.7

%

$

148,323

10.0

%

Net income per common share:

Basic

$

2.77

$

2.47

Diluted

$

2.76

$

2.46

Weighted average common shares outstanding:

Basic

58,171

60,070

Diluted

58,446

60,375

Exhibit 2

Ulta Beauty, Inc.

Consolidated Statements of Income

(In thousands, except per share data)

26 Weeks Ended

August 3,

August 4,

2019

2018

(Unaudited)

(Unaudited)

Net sales

$

3,409,636

100.0

%

$

3,031,888

100.0

%

Cost of sales

2,158,890

63.3

%

1,935,714

63.8

%

Gross profit

1,250,746

36.7

%

1,096,174

36.2

%

Selling, general and administrative expenses

795,976

23.3

%

682,766

22.5

%

Pre-opening expenses

9,212

0.3

%

9,751

0.3

%

Operating income

445,558

13.1

%

403,657

13.3

%

Interest income, net

(3,717

)

0.1

%

(2,468

)

0.1

%

Income before income taxes

449,275

13.2

%

406,125

13.4

%

Income tax expense

95,796

2.8

%

93,406

3.1

%

Net income

$

353,479

10.4

%

$

312,719

10.3

%

Net income per common share:

Basic

$

6.05

$

5.18

Diluted

$

6.02

$

5.16

Weighted average common shares outstanding:

Basic

58,401

60,340

Diluted

58,718

60,630

Exhibit 3

Ulta Beauty, Inc.

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

(In thousands)

August 3,

February 2,

August 4,

2019

2019

2018

(Unaudited)

(Unaudited)

Assets

Current assets:

Cash and cash equivalents

$

177,398

$

409,251

$

237,107

Short-term investments

150,000

149,000

Receivables, net

107,263

136,168

103,666

Merchandise inventories, net

1,315,999

1,214,329

1,219,685

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

131,171

138,116

103,618

Prepaid income taxes

38,769

16,997

17,082

Total current assets

1,920,600

1,914,861

1,830,158

Property and equipment, net

1,219,948

1,226,029

1,212,978

Operating lease assets

1,499,556

Goodwill

10,870

10,870

Other intangible assets, net

3,854

4,317

Deferred compensation plan assets

24,665

20,511

19,585

Other long-term assets

30,882

14,584

10,628

Total assets

$

4,710,375

$

3,191,172

$

3,073,349

Liabilities and stockholders’ equity

Current liabilities:

Accounts payable

$

450,117

$

404,016

$

409,849

Accrued liabilities

224,202

220,666

202,999

Deferred revenue

182,354

199,054

145,907

Current operating lease liabilities

208,261

Total current liabilities

1,064,934

823,736

758,755

Non-current operating lease liabilities

1,683,743

Deferred rent

434,980

422,455

Deferred income taxes

86,598

83,864

49,700

Other long-term liabilities

35,649

28,374

29,961

Total liabilities

2,870,924

1,370,954

1,260,871

Commitments and contingencies

Total stockholders’ equity

1,839,451

1,820,218

1,812,478

Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity

$

4,710,375

$

3,191,172

$

3,073,349

Exhibit 4

Ulta Beauty, Inc.

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(In thousands)

26 Weeks Ended

August 3,

August 4,

2019

2018

(Unaudited)

(Unaudited)

Operating activities

Net income

$

353,479

$

312,719

Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:

Depreciation and amortization

144,951

137,815

Non-cash lease expense

152,134

Deferred income taxes

2,734

612

Stock-based compensation expense

12,766

13,172

Loss on disposal of property and equipment

3,215

499

Change in operating assets and liabilities:

Receivables

11,437

(3,947

)

Merchandise inventories

(101,670

)

(123,261

)

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

(18,315

)

(4,952

)

Income taxes

(21,772

)

(29,694

)

Accounts payable

46,101

84,091

Accrued liabilities

(2,629

)

(6,572

)

Deferred revenue

(16,700

)

(6,577

)

Operating lease liabilities

(138,557

)

Deferred rent

14,539

Other assets and liabilities

20,162

(441

)

Net cash provided by operating activities

447,336

388,003

Investing activities

Purchases of short-term investments

(245,000

)

(558,163

)

Proceeds from short-term investments

95,000

529,163

Purchases of property and equipment

(151,213

)

(141,691

)

Purchases of equity investments

(33,339

)

Net cash used in investing activities

(334,552

)

(170,691

)

Financing activities

Repurchase of common shares

(378,300

)

(260,452

)

Stock options exercised

42,935

8,448

Purchase of treasury shares

(9,272

)

(5,646

)

Net cash used in financing activities

(344,637

)

(257,650

)

Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents

(231,853

)

(40,338

)

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period

409,251

277,445

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period

$

177,398

$

237,107

Exhibit 5

2019 Store Expansion

Total stores open

Number of stores

Number of stores

Total stores

at beginning of the

opened during the

closed during the

open at

Fiscal 2019

quarter

quarter

quarter

end of the quarter

1st Quarter

1,174

22

0

1,196

2nd Quarter

1,196

20

3

1,213

Gross square feet for

Total gross square

stores opened or

Gross square feet for

Total gross square

feet at beginning of

expanded during the

stores closed

feet at end of the

Fiscal 2019

the quarter

quarter

during the quarter

quarter

1st Quarter

12,337,145

236,596

0

12,573,741

2nd Quarter

12,573,741

209,469

29,612

12,753,598

Investor Contacts:

Kiley Rawlins, CFA

Vice President, Investor Relations

[email protected]

(331) 757-2206

Patrick Flaherty

Senior Manager, Investor Relations

[email protected]

(331) 253-3521

Media Contact:

Karen May

Director, Public Relations

(630) 410-5457

Source: Ulta Beauty, Inc.

Categories

Business Wire Press Releases

Next Articles