Mitrade Insights is dedicated to providing investors with rich, timely and most valuable financial information to help investors grasp the market situation and find timely trading opportunities.

2021

Best News & Analysis Provider

FxDailyInfo

2022

Best Forex Educational Resources Global

International Business Magazine

Insights

News

Here's Why Ulta Beauty Stock Popped Today

Source The Motley Fool

Shares of cosmetics retailer Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ: ULTA) popped on Friday after its financial results for the third quarter of 2024 came in above investors' expectations. Expectations were quite low and so now investors are rethinking things. And that's why Ulta Beauty stock was up about 9% as of 11:25 a.m. ET.

Ulta Beauty outperformed low expectations

When an investor as great as Warren Buffett sells your stock, it tends to kill any buzz the market might have otherwise had. Ulta Beauty's same-store sales have stagnated in recent quarters, impacting revenue and profitability. And while investors don't know for sure that Buffett was involved, his company Berkshire Hathaway sold most of its position in the cosmetics stock last quarter.

In Q3, Ulta Beauty's same-store sales increased by almost 1%, which contributed to almost 2% growth in net sales. While that's meager growth, it was better than expected. Moreover, it motivated management to raise the lower end of its full-year guidance.

Again, it's not much but expectations were really low. And with Ulta Beauty beating expectations and increasing aspects of its financial guidance, professional analysts are mostly raising their price targets for Ulta Beauty stock today, which can certainly generate enthusiasm from their clients.

Can Ulta Beauty keep rising from here?

I disagreed with Berkshire's decision to sell Ulta Beauty stock because I do believe it has plenty of long-term upside. As Q3 results show, Ulta Beauty's business is stable and I expect that to continue for the foreseeable future. The business is solidly profitable, projecting a roughly 13% full-year operating margin. And management keeps boosting shareholder value by buying back shares.

Less than a month ago, Ulta Beauty stock traded at just 15 times earnings, which is quite cheap for a company with solid profitability and a declining share count. It's a little more expensive now but I think investors can still buy and hold this one for the long term.

Don’t miss this second chance at a potentially lucrative opportunity

Ever feel like you missed the boat in buying the most successful stocks? Then you’ll want to hear this.

On rare occasions, our expert team of analysts issues a “Double Down” stock recommendation for companies that they think are about to pop. If you’re worried you’ve already missed your chance to invest, now is the best time to buy before it’s too late. And the numbers speak for themselves:

Nvidia: if you invested $1,000 when we doubled down in 2009, you’d have $376,143!*
Apple: if you invested $1,000 when we doubled down in 2008, you’d have $46,028!*
Netflix: if you invested $1,000 when we doubled down in 2004, you’d have $494,999!*

Right now, we’re issuing “Double Down” alerts for three incredible companies, and there may not be another chance like this anytime soon.

See 3 “Double Down” stocks »

*Stock Advisor returns as of December 2, 2024

Jon Quast has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Berkshire Hathaway and Ulta Beauty. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Disclaimer: For information purposes only. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Recommended Articles

Fed hike odds near 90% into Wednesday's decision — how to trade the dollar, gold and the S&P 500 A 0.3% monthly core CPI print has lifted the market-implied probability of a 25bp Fed hike on 16 September to roughly 86.5% ~ 90%, which would be the first increase since July 2023. Here is the decision timeline, the pricing versus the forecasts, both scenarios, and the key levels for the dollar, gold and the S&P 500.

Author Suzie

Sep 14, Mon

A 0.3% monthly core CPI print has lifted the market-implied probability of a 25bp Fed hike on 16 September to roughly 86.5% ~ 90%, which would be the first increase since July 2023. Here is the decision timeline, the pricing versus the forecasts, both scenarios, and the key levels for the dollar, gold and the S&P 500.

【Daily Brief】10-year Treasury yield briefly tops 5%, S&P 500 slips to 7,602 and the dollar firms at 99.3 as the Fed's decision eve begins The 10-year Treasury yield touched 5.014% on Monday — its first print above 5% since October 2023 — while the S&P 500 closed 0.48% lower at 7,619.98 and the dollar index firmed to 99.3. Here is the full market wrap ahead of Wednesday's FOMC decision, the dot plot and the August retail sales report, plus today's CLARITY Act Senate vote.

Author Irene Q.

Sep 15, Tue

The 10-year Treasury yield touched 5.014% on Monday — its first print above 5% since October 2023 — while the S&P 500 closed 0.48% lower at 7,619.98 and the dollar index firmed to 99.3. Here is the full market wrap ahead of Wednesday's FOMC decision, the dot plot and the August retail sales report, plus today's CLARITY Act Senate vote.

Silver breaks $64 as precious metals rebound — can gold hold the $4,280 line into the Fed decision?Silver has climbed back above $64 an ounce for the first time this week, leading a broad rebound across precious metals hours before the Federal Reserve delivers what is expected to be its first rate hike since 2023. Spot silver was last at $64.64, up 1.49% on the day, while gold reclaimed $4,300 and platinum and palladium both advanced. The question now is whether the bounce is a genuine turn — or a pause before the Fed's dot plot decides the next move.

Author Suzie

21 hours ago

Silver has climbed back above $64 an ounce for the first time this week, leading a broad rebound across precious metals hours before the Federal Reserve delivers what is expected to be its first rate hike since 2023. Spot silver was last at $64.64, up 1.49% on the day, while gold reclaimed $4,300 and platinum and palladium both advanced. The question now is whether the bounce is a genuine turn — or a pause before the Fed's dot plot decides the next move.

Bitcoin falls below $75,000 as the CLARITY Act fails in the Senate — what the vote means for crypto The US Senate blocked the Digital Asset Market CLARITY Act in a 49-50 procedural vote, sending Bitcoin briefly below $75,000 — its biggest one-day drop since June. Ethereum fell more than 8%, Coinbase slid 10% and $75 billion of crypto market value evaporated. Here is what the vote was, why it failed, and the levels that matter now.

Author Suzie

21 hours ago

The US Senate blocked the Digital Asset Market CLARITY Act in a 49-50 procedural vote, sending Bitcoin briefly below $75,000 — its biggest one-day drop since June. Ethereum fell more than 8%, Coinbase slid 10% and $75 billion of crypto market value evaporated. Here is what the vote was, why it failed, and the levels that matter now.

Dollar index tops 100 for the first time since July as the Fed's hawkish dot plot sinks in The U.S. dollar index broke back above 100 for the first time since 31 July after the Fed delivered its first rate hike since 2023, with the dot plot showing 16 of 18 officials expect at least one more increase this year. Here are the levels that matter for DXY, the currencies feeling it most, and what to watch next.

Author Irene Q.

3 hours ago

The U.S. dollar index broke back above 100 for the first time since 31 July after the Fed delivered its first rate hike since 2023, with the dot plot showing 16 of 18 officials expect at least one more increase this year. Here are the levels that matter for DXY, the currencies feeling it most, and what to watch next.

Popular Symbols