Ulta Beauty Inc. (NASDAQ:ULTA) reported impressive first-quarter results, with earnings of $7.74 per share, significantly surpassing the expected $6.86. The company’s revenue reached $3.16 billion, exceeding the consensus estimate of $3.09 billion and marking an increase from $2.85 billion in the same quarter last year. This growth was driven by a 11.1% rise in net sales, attributed to increased comparable sales and the acquisition of Space NK. Comparable sales rose by 5.3%, with a 3.7% increase in average ticket size and a 1.6% rise in transactions. Gross profit also saw a notable increase of 13.8%, totaling $1.3 billion, with a gross margin of 40.1%. However, selling, general, and administrative (SG&A) expenses increased by 14.6% due to the acquisition. Looking ahead, Ulta raised its fiscal 2026 GAAP EPS guidance to between $28.36 and $28.80, while affirming its revenue outlook of $13.14 billion to $13.26 billion. Following the announcement, Ulta's stock rose 5.43% to $521.95 in after-hours trading.