Net Sales Increased 12.9%
Comparable Sales Increased 7.0%
Diluted EPS Increased 20.7% to $3.26,
Including a $0.18 Tax Rate Benefit
Ulta Beauty, Inc. (NASDAQ: ULTA) today announced financial
results for the first quarter ended May 4, 2019.
“The Ulta Beauty team delivered a strong start to the year with
solid first quarter sales and earnings performance,” said Mary
Dillon, Chief Executive Officer. “These results reflect a healthy
balance of traffic and ticket growth, and double digit comparable
sales growth in mass cosmetics, skin care and fragrance, tempered
by continued mixed performance in prestige cosmetics. We are
driving operational excellence across the enterprise, while
investing in growth initiatives to fuel the long-term success of
Ulta Beauty. We are excited to announce our decision to expand
internationally and establish Ulta Beauty as a successful global
brand. Our first step in becoming a global beauty retailer
will be to prepare to launch operations in Canada.”
For the First Quarter of Fiscal 2019
- Net sales increased 12.9% to $1,743.0
million compared to $1,543.7 million in the first quarter of fiscal
2018;
- Comparable sales (sales for stores open
at least 14 months and e-commerce sales) increased 7.0%
compared to an increase of 8.1% in the first quarter of fiscal
2018. The 7.0% comparable sales increase was driven by 4.3%
transaction growth and 2.7% growth in average ticket;
- Gross profit as a percentage of
net sales increased 70 basis points to 37.0% compared to 36.3% in
the first quarter of fiscal 2018, primarily due to improvement in
merchandise margins driven by our marketing and merchandising
strategies and leverage in fixed store costs, partially offset by
investments in our salon services and supply chain operations;
- Selling, general and administrative
expenses as a percentage of net sales increased 70 basis
points to 23.1% compared to 22.4% in the first quarter of fiscal
2018, due to deleverage in corporate overhead related to
investments in growth initiatives and store labor, partially offset
by improvement in variable store and marketing expense attributed
to cost efficiencies and higher sales volume;
- Pre-opening expenses decreased to $4.2
million compared to $5.2 million in the first quarter of fiscal
2018. Real estate activity in the first quarter of fiscal 2019
included 22 new stores and one remodeled store, compared to 34 new
stores and two remodeled stores in the first quarter of fiscal
2018;
- Operating income increased 13.2% to
$237.5 million, or 13.6% of net sales, compared to $209.8 million,
or 13.6% of net sales, in the first quarter of fiscal 2018;
- Tax rate decreased to 19.8% compared to
22.1% in the first quarter of fiscal 2018. The lower effective tax
rate is primarily due to income tax accounting for share-based
compensation;
- Net income increased 16.9% to $192.2
million compared to $164.4 million in the first quarter of fiscal
2018; and
- Diluted earnings per share increased
20.7% to $3.26, which included a $0.18 benefit due to income tax
accounting for share-based compensation, compared to $2.70 in the
first quarter of fiscal 2018, which included a $0.07 benefit due to
income tax accounting for share-based compensation.
Balance Sheet
Merchandise inventories, net at the end of first quarter of
fiscal 2019 totaled $1,250.0 million compared to $1,136.8 million
at the end of the first quarter of fiscal 2018, representing an
increase of $113.2 million. The increase in total inventory was
driven by 89 net new stores and the opening of the Company’s
distribution center in Fresno, California, partially offset by
inventory productivity benefits from supply chain investments in
new systems and merchandise planning tools. Average inventory per
store increased 1.8% compared to the first quarter of fiscal
2018.
The Company ended the first quarter of fiscal 2019 with $521.8
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 first quarter fiscal 2019, the Company repurchased
318,431 shares of its common stock at a cost of $107.4
million. As of May 4, 2019, $788.2 million remained
available under the $875.0 million share repurchase program
announced in March 2019.
Store Expansion
During the first quarter of fiscal 2019, the Company opened 22
stores located in Birmingham, AL; California, MD; Christiansburg,
VA; Dalton, GA; Foley, AL; Grand Prairie, TX; Hanover, MD;
Huntsville, AL; Kennett Square, PA; Laguna Niguel, CA; Lake
Elsinore, CA; Livermore, CA; Lompoc, CA; Nags Head, NC;
Plattsburgh, NY; Raleigh, NC; Rensselaer, NY; Ruston, LA; Seekonk,
MA; South Plainfield, NJ; Virginia Beach, VA; and Whitestown, IN.
The Company ended the first quarter of fiscal 2019 with 1,196
stores and square footage of 12,573,741, representing an 8.0%
increase in square footage compared to the first quarter of fiscal
2018.
Outlook
For fiscal 2019, the Company plans to:
- open approximately 80 new stores,
execute approximately 20 remodel or relocation projects and
complete approximately 270 store refreshes;
- increase total sales in the low double
digits percentage range;
- achieve comparable sales growth of
approximately 6% to 7%, including e-commerce growth of 20% to
30%;
- leverage operating profit margin rate
10 to 20 basis points;
- deliver diluted earnings per share in
the range of $12.83 to $13.03, including the impact of
approximately $700 million in share repurchases and assuming a 24%
effective tax rate. This guidance represents the Company’s previous
outlook for the year of $12.65 to $12.85, inclusive of the $0.18
income tax benefit in the first quarter. The Company continues to
expect that diluted earnings per share growth will be slightly
weighted to the second half of the year, excluding the impact of
the income tax benefit from the first quarter;
- incur capital expenditures of $380
million to $400 million in fiscal 2019, compared to fiscal 2018
capital expenditures of $319 million; and
- incur depreciation and amortization
expense of $315 million.
To more closely align with industry practices, beginning in
2019, 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 first quarter of fiscal 2019
results is scheduled for today, May 30, 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 June 13, 2019 and can be
accessed by dialing (844) 512-2921 and entering conference ID
number 13690528.
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 May 4, 2019, Ulta Beauty
operates 1,196 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 May 4, May 5,
2019 2018 (Unaudited) (Unaudited) Net
sales $ 1,743,029 100.0 % $ 1,543,667 100.0 % Cost of sales
1,098,182 63.0 % 982,954 63.7 % Gross profit
644,847 37.0 % 560,713 36.3 % Selling, general and
administrative expenses 403,133 23.1 % 345,624 22.4 % Pre-opening
expenses 4,174 0.2 % 5,247 0.3 %
Operating income 237,540 13.6 % 209,842 13.6 % Interest income, net
(2,046 ) 0.1 % (1,325 ) 0.1 % Income before income
taxes 239,586 13.7 % 211,167 13.7 % Income tax expense
47,365 2.7 % 46,771 3.0 % Net income $ 192,221
11.0 % $ 164,396 10.6 % Net income per common
share: Basic $ 3.28 $ 2.71 Diluted $ 3.26 $ 2.70 Weighted
average common shares outstanding: Basic 58,631 60,610 Diluted
58,993 60,909
Exhibit 2
Ulta Beauty, Inc. Condensed Consolidated Balance
Sheets (In thousands) May 4,
February 2, May 5, 2019 2019
2018 (Unaudited) (Unaudited) Assets
Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 326,831 $ 409,251 $
231,886 Short-term investments 195,000 — 237,193 Receivables, net
110,046 136,168 100,274 Merchandise inventories, net 1,250,037
1,214,329 1,136,816 Prepaid expenses and other current assets
137,173 138,116 96,530 Prepaid income taxes 245
16,997 — Total current assets 2,019,332 1,914,861 1,802,699
Property and equipment, net 1,205,919 1,226,029 1,190,969
Operating lease assets 1,479,132 — — Goodwill 10,870 10,870 — Other
intangible assets, net 4,085 4,317 — Deferred compensation plan
assets 23,910 20,511 18,494 Other long-term assets 23,105
14,584 10,087 Total assets $ 4,766,353 $ 3,191,172 $
3,022,249
Liabilities and stockholders’ equity
Current liabilities: Accounts payable $ 407,345 $ 404,016 $ 372,664
Accrued liabilities 227,156 220,666 179,659 Deferred revenue
182,993 199,054 140,764 Current operating lease liabilities 211,432
— — Accrued income taxes 16,679 — 52,005 Total
current liabilities 1,045,605 823,736 745,092 Non-current
operating lease liabilities 1,654,401 — — Deferred rent — 434,980
414,219 Deferred income taxes 90,384 83,864 50,561 Other long-term
liabilities 34,395 28,374 28,944 Total
liabilities 2,824,785 1,370,954 1,238,816 Commitments and
contingencies Total stockholders’ equity 1,941,568
1,820,218 1,783,433 Total liabilities and
stockholders’ equity $ 4,766,353 $ 3,191,172 $ 3,022,249
Exhibit 3
Ulta Beauty, Inc. Consolidated Statements of Cash
Flows (In thousands) 13 Weeks Ended
May 4, May 5, 2019 2018
(Unaudited) (Unaudited) Operating activities
Net income $ 192,221 $ 164,396 Adjustments to reconcile net income
to net cash provided by operating activities: Depreciation and
amortization 71,810 68,789 Non-cash lease expense 75,231 — Deferred
income taxes 6,520 1,473 Stock-based compensation expense 6,030
6,170 Loss on disposal of property and equipment 1,365 798 Change
in operating assets and liabilities: Receivables 8,654 (555 )
Merchandise inventories (35,708 ) (40,392 ) Prepaid expenses and
other current assets (24,317 ) 2,136 Income taxes 33,431 39,393
Accounts payable 3,329 46,906 Accrued liabilities 9,971 48,182
Deferred revenue (16,061 ) (66,992 ) Operating lease liabilities
(67,635 ) — Deferred rent — 6,303 Other assets and liabilities
6,837 656 Net cash provided by
operating activities 271,678 277,263
Investing
activities Purchases of short-term investments (195,000 )
(237,193 ) Proceeds from short-term investments — 120,000 Purchases
of property and equipment (71,836 ) (74,259 ) Purchases of equity
investments (12,736 ) — Net cash used in
investing activities (279,572 ) (191,452 )
Financing
activities Repurchase of common shares (107,399 ) (133,051 )
Stock options exercised 42,056 6,512 Purchase of treasury shares
(9,183 ) (4,831 ) Net cash used in financing
activities (74,526 ) (131,370 ) Net decrease in cash and
cash equivalents (82,420 ) (45,559 ) Cash and cash equivalents at
beginning of period 409,251 277,445
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period $ 326,831 $
231,886
Exhibit 4
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
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
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190530005803/en/
Company Contacts:Scott SetterstenChief Financial Officer(630)
410-4807
Laurel LefebvreVice President, Investor Relations(630)
410-5230
Karen MayDirector, Public Relations(630) 410-5457
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