Ulta Beauty Announces Third Quarter 2012 Results

Total Sales Increased 22.4%

Comparable Store Sales Increased 8.4%

EPS Increased 40.5% to $0.59

Full Year 2012 EPS Guidance Raised to $2.64 to $2.66

BOLINGBROOK, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ:ULTA) today announced financial results for the thirteen week period (“Third Quarter”) and thirty-nine week period (“First Nine Months”) ended October 27, 2012, which compares to the same periods ended October 29, 2011.

For the Third Quarter:

  • Net sales increased 22.4% to $505.6 million from $413.1 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2011;
  • Comparable store sales (sales for stores open at least 14 months) increased 8.4% compared to an increase of 9.6% in the third quarter of fiscal 2011;
  • Gross profit increased 60 basis points to 36.7% from 36.1% in the third quarter of fiscal 2011;
  • Selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expense as a percentage of net sales decreased 120 basis points to 23.3% compared to 24.5% in the third quarter of fiscal 2011;
  • Preopening expenses increased to $6.3 million, compared to $4.0 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2011. Real estate activity in the third quarter included 49 new stores, one relocation and 11 remodels compared to 28 new stores and one relocation in the third quarter of fiscal 2011;
  • Operating income increased 38.6% to $61.3 million, or 12.1% of net sales, compared to $44.2 million, or 10.7% of net sales, in the third quarter of fiscal 2011;
  • The tax rate of 37.7% reflects $0.01 per diluted share benefit compared to the third quarter of fiscal 2011 driven primarily by stock option exercises;
  • Net income increased 42.5% to $38.2 million compared to $26.8 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2011; and
  • Income per diluted share increased 40.5% to $0.59 compared to $0.42 in the third quarter of fiscal 2011.

Chuck Rubin, President and Chief Executive Officer, stated, “Ulta drove better than expected sales growth and operating margin improvement to deliver outstanding performance in the third quarter. We gained market share across all of our major product categories through our disciplined focus on the five components of our multi-year growth strategy: accelerating store growth, introducing new products, services and brands, enhancing our loyalty program, broadening our marketing reach, and increasing our digital focus including Ulta.com. Ulta’s third quarter underscores our team’s strength in execution: we opened 49 stores, increasing Ulta’s store base by 10% during a single quarter, and we completed most of the previously announced prestige brand boutiques. We ended the quarter with Lancôme boutiques in 79 of our stores and Clinique boutiques in 42 stores. Looking ahead to next year, based on the high quality of available real estate and our team’s proven ability to execute, we expect to exceed our long-term plans for 15% to 20% annual store growth and currently plan to open approximately 125 stores in 2013, representing 22% square footage growth. We are confident that Ulta will continue to grow its position as a beauty and trend authority and drive strong sales and profit growth in the quarters and years to come.”

For the First Nine Months:

  • Net sales increased 22.4% to $1,461.4 million from $1,193.6 million in the first nine months of fiscal 2011;
  • Comparable store sales (sales for stores open at least 14 months) increased 9.3% compared to an increase of 10.7% in the first nine months of fiscal 2011;
  • Gross profit increased 80 basis points to 35.9% from 35.1% in the first nine months of fiscal 2011;
  • SG&A expense as a percentage of net sales decreased 110 basis points to 22.9% compared to 24.0% in the first nine months of fiscal 2011;
  • Pre-opening expense increased to $12.9 million, compared to $9.0 million in the first nine months of fiscal 2011. Real estate activity for the first nine months included 89 new stores, three relocations and 20 remodels compared to 54 new stores, two relocations and 17 remodeled stores in the first nine months of fiscal 2011;
  • Operating income increased 43.3% to $176.2 million, or 12.1% of net sales, compared to $122.9 million, or 10.3% of net sales, in the first nine months of fiscal 2011;
  • The tax rate was 38.6% compared to 39.6% for the first nine months of fiscal 2011;
  • Net income increased 46.0% to $108.0 million compared to $74.0 million in the first nine months of fiscal 2011; and
  • Income per diluted share increased 43.6% to $1.68 compared to $1.17 in the first nine months of fiscal 2011.

Balance Sheet and Cash Flow

Merchandise inventories at the end of the third quarter totaled $462.8 million, compared to $354.9 million at the end of the third quarter of fiscal 2011, representing an increase of $107.9 million. The increase in inventory was primarily due to the 95 net new stores opened since October 29, 2011 and the opening of the Company’s third distribution center in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania during the first quarter of fiscal 2012. Average inventory per store increased 7.3% compared to the prior year. The increase in average inventory per store reflects the Company’s normal holiday inventory build, incremental inventory related to the recently added prestige brand boutiques, as well as strategic inventory investments in core product categories to ensure strong in-stock levels throughout the holiday season and into next year.

The Company did not utilize its credit facility during the nine month period ended October 27, 2012.

Store Expansion

During the third quarter, the Company opened 49 stores located in Arlington, TX; Bluffton, SC; Boca Raton, FL; Braintree, MA; Clearwater, FL; Columbia, SC (Cross Hill); Culver City, CA; Davie, FL; DeKalb, IL; El Cajon, CA; Florence, AL; Gainesville, FL; Garden City, NY; Grandville, MI; Hanover, PA; Houma, LA; Huntington Station, NY; Knoxville, TN; Lafayette, LA; Lee's Summit, MO; Lincoln, NE; Little Rock, AR; Livonia, MI; Logan, UT; Long Beach, CA; McDonough, GA; Medford, OR; Milford, CT; Napa, CA; Newport Beach, CA; Odessa, TX; Pensacola, FL; Puyallup, WA; Rib Mountain, WI; Richfield, MN; Rosenburg, TX; San Diego, CA (Mission Valley); Sandusky, OH; Seal Beach, CA; Solon, OH; Spartanburg, SC; Spring, TX; Springfield, PA; Stow, OH; Traverse City, MI; Warsaw, IN; Waukesha, WI; Westminster, CO and Winchester, VA and relocated one store in D’iberville, MS. In addition, the Company closed one store. The Company ended the third quarter with 537 stores and square footage of 5,703,197, which represents a 22% increase in square footage compared to the third quarter of fiscal 2011.

Outlook

For the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012, the Company currently expects net sales in the range of $742 million to $754 million, compared to actual net sales of $582.5 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2011. This assumes comparable store sales increase 5% to 7%, and includes the impact of Hurricane Sandy. Comparable store sales increased 11.5% in the fourth quarter of 2011.

Income per diluted share for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012 is estimated to be in the range of $0.96 to $0.98. This compares to income per diluted share for fourth quarter of fiscal 2011 of $0.73.

For fiscal 2012, the Company plans to:

  • achieve comparable store sales growth of approximately 8%, assuming the midpoint of the guidance range for the fourth quarter, approximately 300 basis points above the high end of the Company’s long-term comparable store sales growth goal of 3% to 5%;
  • deliver earnings per share in the range of $2.64 to $2.66, including the negative impact of approximately $0.07 of income per diluted share associated with the accelerated new store program, the opening of the new Chambersburg distribution center and the planned expansion of prestige brand boutiques;
  • incur capital expenditures of approximately $180 million in fiscal 2012, compared to $129 million in fiscal 2011;
  • expand square footage by 23% with the opening of 101 net new stores;
  • remodel 21 locations; and
  • generate free cash flow.

Conference Call Information

A conference call to discuss third quarter results is scheduled for today, November 29, 2012, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Investors and analysts interested in participating in the call are invited to dial (877) 705-6003. The conference call will also be web-cast live at http://ir.ulta.com and remain available for 90 days. A replay of this call will be available until 11:59 p.m. (ET) on December 6, 2012 and can be accessed by dialing (877) 870-5176 and entering conference ID number 403787.

About Ulta Beauty

Ulta Beauty is the largest beauty retailer that provides one-stop shopping for prestige, mass and salon products and salon services in the United States. Ulta Beauty provides affordable indulgence to its customers by combining unmatched product breadth, value and convenience with the distinctive environment and experience of a specialty retailer. Ulta Beauty offers a unique combination of over 20,000 prestige and mass beauty products across the categories of cosmetics, fragrance, haircare, skincare, bath and body products and salon styling tools, as well as salon haircare products. Ulta Beauty also offers a full-service salon in all of its stores. As of October 27, 2012, Ulta operates 537 retail stores across 45 states and also distributes its products through the Company’s website: 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,” 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 or expectations contemplated by us will be achieved. Such forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, which include, without limitation: the impact of weakness in the economy; changes in the overall level of consumer spending; changes in the wholesale cost of our products; the possibility that we may be unable to compete effectively in our highly competitive markets; the possibility that our continued opening of new stores could strain our resources and have a material adverse effect on our business and financial performance; the possibility that new store openings and existing locations may be impacted by developer or co-tenant issues; the possibility that the capacity of our distribution and order fulfillment infrastructure may not be adequate to support our recent growth and expected future growth plans; the possibility of material disruptions to our information systems; weather conditions that could negatively impact sales; and other risk factors detailed in our public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including risk factors contained in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 28, 2012. Our filings with the SEC are available at www.sec.gov. 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 Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance, Inc.
Statements of Income
(In thousands, except per share amounts)
       
 
13 Weeks Ended 13 Weeks Ended
October 27, October 29,
2012 2011
(Unaudited) (Unaudited)
Net sales $ 505,640   100.0% $ 413,067   100.0%
Cost of sales   320,147   63.3%   263,884   63.9%
Gross profit 185,493 36.7% 149,183 36.1%
 
Selling, general and administrative expense 117,934 23.3% 100,997 24.5%
Pre-opening expenses   6,252   1.2%   3,958   1.0%
Operating income 61,307 12.1% 44,228 10.7%
Interest expense   39   0.0%   176   0.0%
Income before income taxes 61,268 12.1% 44,052 10.7%
Income tax expense   23,117   4.6%   17,284   4.2%
Net income $ 38,151   7.5% $ 26,768   6.5%
 
Net income per common share:
Basic $ 0.60 $ 0.44
Diluted $ 0.59 $ 0.42
 
Weighted average common shares outstanding:
Basic 63,484 61,451
Diluted 64,483 63,419
 
 

Exhibit 2

Ulta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance, Inc.
Statements of Income
(In thousands, except per share amounts)
       
 
39 Weeks Ended 39 Weeks Ended
October 27, October 29,
2012 2011
(Unaudited) (Unaudited)
Net sales $ 1,461,421   100.0% $ 1,193,640   100.0%
Cost of sales   937,391   64.1%   775,265   64.9%
Gross profit 524,030 35.9% 418,375 35.1%
 
Selling, general and administrative expense 334,917 22.9% 286,423 24.0%
Pre-opening expenses   12,901   0.9%   9,004   0.8%
Operating income 176,212 12.1% 122,948 10.3%
Interest expense   164   0.0%   496   0.0%
Income before income taxes 176,048 12.0% 122,452 10.3%
Income tax expense   68,031   4.7%   48,483   4.1%
Net income $ 108,017   7.4% $ 73,969   6.2%
 
Net income per common share:
Basic $ 1.71 $ 1.21
Diluted $ 1.68 $ 1.17
 
Weighted average common shares outstanding:
Basic 63,016 61,044
Diluted 64,285 63,173
 
Dividends declared per common share $ 1.00 $
 
 

Exhibit 3

Ulta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance, Inc.
Condensed Balance Sheets
(In thousands)
           
 
October 27, January 28, October 29,
2012     2012     2011
(Unaudited) (Unaudited)
Assets
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents $ 191,724 $ 253,738 $ 130,657
Receivables, net 36,649 26,153 21,080
Merchandise inventories, net 462,833 244,647 354,891
Prepaid expenses and other current assets 50,197 43,430 40,223
Prepaid income taxes 13,417 505
Deferred income taxes   11,261       12,264       8,922
Total current assets 766,081 580,232 556,278
 
Property and equipment, net   467,165       376,985       373,794
Total assets $ 1,233,246     $ 957,217     $ 930,072
 
Liabilities and stockholders’ equity
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable $ 185,177 $ 86,442 $ 134,043
Accrued liabilities 90,354 74,411 81,116
Accrued income taxes         4,002      
Total current liabilities 275,531 164,855 215,159
 
Deferred rent 202,265 163,463 161,023
Deferred income taxes   48,450       44,195       29,458
Total liabilities 526,246 372,513 405,640
 
Commitments and contingencies
 
Total stockholders’ equity   707,000       584,704       524,432
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity $ 1,233,246     $ 957,217     $ 930,072
 
 

Exhibit 4

Ulta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance, Inc.
Statements of Cash Flows
(In thousands)
       
 
39 Weeks Ended
October 27, October 29,
2012     2011
(Unaudited)
Operating activities
Net income $ 108,017 $ 73,969
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash
provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization 64,832 55,625
Deferred income taxes 5,258 (568)
Non-cash stock compensation charges 9,721 8,223
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation (41,343) (18,127)
Loss on disposal of property and equipment 430 612
Change in operating assets and liabilities:
Receivables (10,496) 1,212
Merchandise inventories (218,186) (136,375)
Prepaid expenses and other current assets (6,767) (7,433)
Income taxes 23,924 28,306
Accounts payable 98,735 46,950
Accrued liabilities 4,531 (1,385)
Deferred rent   38,802       26,451
Net cash provided by operating activities 77,458 77,460
 
Investing activities
Purchases of property and equipment   (144,030)       (97,695)
Net cash used in investing activities (144,030) (97,695)
 
Financing activities
Dividends paid (62,482)
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation 41,343 18,127
Stock options exercised 25,776 21,580
Common stock repurchased   (79)      
Net cash provided by financing activities   4,558       39,707
 
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents (62,014) 19,472
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period   253,738       111,185
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period $ 191,724     $ 130,657
 
 

Exhibit 5

2012 Store Expansion

           
Total stores open at Number of stores Number of stores Total stores open
beginning of the opened during the closed during the at end of the
Fiscal 2012       quarter   quarter   quarter   quarter
1st Quarter 449 18 0 467
2nd Quarter 467 22 0 489
3rd Quarter 489 49 1 537
 
 
Gross square feet Gross square feet
Total gross square for stores opened for stores closed Total gross square
feet at beginning or expanded during during the feet at end of the
Fiscal 2012       of the quarter   the quarter   quarter   quarter
1st Quarter 4,747,148 202,706 0 4,949,854
2nd Quarter 4,949,854 238,274 0 5,188,128
3rd Quarter 5,188,128 525,203 10,134 5,703,197

Company Contacts:
Ulta Beauty
Scott Settersten
Chief Financial Officer
(630) 410-4807
or
Laurel Lefebvre
Vice President, Investor Relations
(630) 410-5230
or
Media Contact:
ICR, Inc.
Alecia Pulman
(203) 682-8224

Source: Ulta Beauty