Ulta Beauty, Inc. stock research
FY2023 Q3
Ulta Beauty (ULTA) Gross Margin — Quarter Ended Oct 28, 2023
Revenue and cost of revenue were each slightly higher than the previous quarter, while gross profit was nearly unchanged, leading to a small improvement in gross margin. Compared with the same quarter one year earlier, revenue was higher and cost of revenue was higher, but gross profit was lower, resulting in a weakened gross margin.
Gross margin takeaway
Quarter ended Oct 28, 2023 · FY2023 Q3
Revenue and cost of revenue were each slightly higher than the previous quarter, while gross profit was nearly unchanged, leading to a small improvement in gross margin. Compared with the same quarter one year earlier, revenue was higher and cost of revenue was higher, but gross profit was lower, resulting in a weakened gross margin.
- The gross margin sequentially improved, driven by a slight increase in revenue relative to cost of revenue. The year-over-year gross margin decline was accompanied by a rise in both revenue and cost of revenue, with cost growing faster than revenue.
- Quarter-over-quarter, gross margin strengthened, while year-over-year it weakened. Revenue and cost of revenue both increased from the prior quarter and from the prior year, but the relative growth of cost of revenue was larger in the year-ago comparison.
Gross margin snapshot
The selected quarter's reported revenue, gross profit, direct costs, and margin comparisons.
Gross margin
39.9%
Gross profit
$992.1M
Revenue
$2.5B
Cost of revenue
$1.5B
Quarter-over-quarter change
+0.6 pts
Year-over-year change
-1.3 pts
Quarterly gross margin trend
A four-quarter view of the revenue and direct-cost bridge behind gross margin.
| Period | Revenue | Gross profit | Cost of revenue | Gross margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 28, 2023 | $3.2B | $1.2B | $2.0B | 37.6% |
| Apr 29, 2023 | $2.6B | $1.1B | $1.6B | 40.0% |
| Jul 29, 2023 | $2.5B | $993.6M | $1.5B | 39.3% |
| Oct 28, 2023 | $2.5B | $992.1M | $1.5B | 39.9% |
Quarterly comparisons
Compare the selected margin with the preceding quarter and the same fiscal quarter one year earlier.
Previous-quarter change
Jul 29, 2023
+0.6 pts
Year-over-year change
Oct 29, 2022
-1.3 pts
What the margin says
Filing-constrained interpretation of margin direction, comparisons, and what to monitor next.
The gross margin sequentially improved, driven by a slight increase in revenue relative to cost of revenue. The year-over-year gross margin decline was accompanied by a rise in both revenue and cost of revenue, with cost growing faster than revenue.
Quarter-over-quarter, gross margin strengthened, while year-over-year it weakened. Revenue and cost of revenue both increased from the prior quarter and from the prior year, but the relative growth of cost of revenue was larger in the year-ago comparison.
Monitor the trend in cost of revenue relative to revenue, as its faster growth in the year-over-year comparison compressed gross margin.