Ulta Setting Up Prettily For Q3, Tends To Trade Well Around Earnings

Ulta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance, Inc. ULTA has been having a pretty year from a stock perspective, up over 40 percent. The beauty supply chain is set to report its Q3 earnings after the market closes Wednesday, and the company tends to trade well around earnings time.

Deutsche Bank is expecting EPS to come in at $1.36, slightly lower than the consensus estimate of $1.37. While Ulta has certainly been having a strong year, it may face tough comparisons moving forward due to its prior strong results.

What to watch for

Loyalty program and marketing updates, as Ulta has grown its loyalty program by 27 percent year-to-date.

“To us, this program is one of the key reasons why ULTA has been able to sustain strong comps despite little proprietary product in the stores,” said Deutsche Bank.

Deutsche Bank maintains a Hold rating on the stock, with a $280 price target.