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BOLINGBROOK, Ill. - Ulta Beauty, Inc. (NASDAQ:ULTA), the $20.9 billion beauty retail giant, announced Wednesday that Chris Lialios, the company’s Senior Vice President and Controller, has been appointed as Interim Chief Financial Officer, effective immediately. Lialios replaces Paula Oyibo, who has left the company. According to InvestingPro analysis, the company maintains a "GREAT" financial health score of 3.06 out of 5, suggesting strong operational stability during this transition.
Lialios, a 25-year veteran of Ulta Beauty, has served as Senior Vice President and Controller since 2018, overseeing financial reporting, internal controls, and accounting policy. He joined the company in 1999 as assistant controller and has held positions of increasing responsibility within the finance organization. He is a Certified Public Accountant with degrees from the University of Illinois Chicago and Webster University.
"Chris has been a respected leader on Ulta Beauty’s finance team for more than 25 years," said Kecia Steelman, president and chief executive officer. Steelman also thanked Oyibo for her contributions during her six-year tenure with the company.
Ulta Beauty has initiated an external search for a permanent CFO with assistance from an executive search firm.
The company reaffirmed its fiscal 2025 guidance, maintaining expectations for comparable store sales growth between 0% and 1.5%, operating margin between 11.7% and 11.8%, and diluted earnings per share between $22.65 and $23.20. This guidance appears well-supported, as InvestingPro data shows 14 analysts have recently revised their earnings expectations upward, with the company currently trading at a P/E ratio of 18.15 and generating robust annual revenue of $11.4 billion.
Ulta Beauty operates 1,451 retail stores across 50 states as the largest specialty beauty retailer in the United States. The company maintains strong liquidity with a current ratio of 1.67 and operates with moderate debt levels. For deeper insights into Ulta Beauty’s financial health and growth prospects, including exclusive ProTips and comprehensive analysis, visit InvestingPro. The information in this article is based on a company press release and InvestingPro data.
In other recent news, Ulta Beauty has seen a series of adjustments in stock price targets following its first-quarter earnings report. UBS raised its price target to $525, maintaining a Buy rating, citing confidence in Ulta’s growth potential and improved customer satisfaction metrics. BMO Capital Markets also increased its price target to $454, noting Ulta’s 4.5% year-over-year sales increase and a 2.9% rise in comparable store sales, which surpassed analyst expectations. Meanwhile, TD Cowen raised its target to $465, while maintaining a Hold rating, reflecting optimism about Ulta’s competitive stance in the prestige category. Loop Capital increased its target to $510, highlighting Ulta’s improved pricing strategy and consumer sentiment. Piper Sandler raised its target to $437, maintaining a Neutral rating, due to cautiousness about macroeconomic uncertainties affecting the latter half of the year. Collectively, these updates reflect a positive sentiment among analysts about Ulta Beauty’s current performance and future prospects, albeit with varying degrees of caution regarding future challenges.
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