Latest news with #cosmetics
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Beauty and Cosmetics Retailer Q1 Earnings: Ulta (NASDAQ:ULTA) is the Best in the Biz
Looking back on beauty and cosmetics retailer stocks' Q1 earnings, we examine this quarter's best and worst performers, including Ulta (NASDAQ:ULTA) and its peers. Beauty and cosmetics retailers understand that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but a little lipstick, nail polish, and glowing skin also help the cause. These stores—which mostly cater to consumers but can also garner the attention of salon pros—aim to be a one-stop personal care and beauty products shop with many brands across many categories. E-commerce is changing how consumers buy cosmetics, so these retailers are constantly evolving to meet the customer where and how they want to shop. The 4 beauty and cosmetics retailer stocks we track reported a mixed Q1. As a group, revenues along with next quarter's revenue guidance were in line with analysts' consensus estimates. Luckily, beauty and cosmetics retailer stocks have performed well with share prices up 22.5% on average since the latest earnings results. Best Q1: Ulta (NASDAQ:ULTA) Offering high-end prestige brands as well as lower-priced, mass-market ones, Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ:ULTA) is an American retailer that sells makeup, skincare, haircare, and fragrance products. Ulta reported revenues of $2.85 billion, up 4.5% year on year. This print exceeded analysts' expectations by 1.9%. Overall, it was a strong quarter for the company with a solid beat of analysts' EBITDA estimates and an impressive beat of analysts' EPS estimates. Ulta scored the biggest analyst estimates beat and highest full-year guidance raise of the whole group. Unsurprisingly, the stock is up 21.9% since reporting and currently trades at $514.50. We think Ulta is a good business, but is it a buy today? Read our full report here, it's free. Warby Parker (NYSE:WRBY) Founded in 2010, Warby Parker (NYSE:WRBY) designs, manufactures, and sells eyewear, including prescription glasses, sunglasses, and contact lenses, through its e-commerce platform and physical retail locations. Warby Parker reported revenues of $223.8 million, up 11.9% year on year, falling short of analysts' expectations by 0.8%. However, the business still had a strong quarter with an impressive beat of analysts' EPS estimates and a solid beat of analysts' EBITDA estimates. Warby Parker delivered the fastest revenue growth among its peers. The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 42.8% since reporting. It currently trades at $23.05. Is now the time to buy Warby Parker? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it's free. Weakest Q1: Bath and Body Works (NYSE:BBWI) Spun off from L Brands in 2020, Bath & Body Works (NYSE:BBWI) is a personal care and home fragrance retailer where consumers can find specialty shower gels, scented candles for the home, and lotions. Bath and Body Works reported revenues of $1.42 billion, up 2.9% year on year, in line with analysts' expectations. It was a slower quarter as it posted EPS guidance for next quarter missing analysts' expectations significantly and full-year EPS guidance missing analysts' expectations. The stock is flat since the results and currently trades at $30.73. Read our full analysis of Bath and Body Works's results here. Sally Beauty (NYSE:SBH) Catering to both everyday consumers as well as salon professionals, Sally Beauty (NYSE:SBH) is a retailer that sells salon-quality beauty products such as makeup and haircare products. Sally Beauty reported revenues of $883.1 million, down 2.8% year on year. This print lagged analysts' expectations by 2%. All in all, it was a mixed quarter for the company. Sally Beauty had the weakest performance against analyst estimates and slowest revenue growth among its peers. The stock is up 24.3% since reporting and currently trades at $10.16. Read our full, actionable report on Sally Beauty here, it's free. Market Update Thanks to the Fed's rate hikes in 2022 and 2023, inflation has been on a steady path downward, easing back toward that 2% sweet spot. Fortunately (miraculously to some), all this tightening didn't send the economy tumbling into a recession, so here we are, cautiously celebrating a soft landing. The cherry on top? Recent rate cuts (half a point in September 2024, a quarter in November) have propped up markets, especially after Trump's November win lit a fire under major indices and sent them to all-time highs. However, there's still plenty to ponder — tariffs, corporate tax cuts, and what 2025 might hold for the economy. Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our Top 6 Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate. StockStory is growing and hiring equity analyst and marketing roles. Are you a 0 to 1 builder passionate about the markets and AI? See the open roles here. Sign in to access your portfolio


Telegraph
2 days ago
- Telegraph
Romanian ‘girl gang' member stole £120k of Boots cosmetics
A Romanian mother who stole perfume and cosmetics in a £120,000 shoplifting spree at Boots has been jailed for 32 months. Bianca Mirica, 20, admitted 30 charges of theft from branches of the high street chemist across London between December 2023 and May last year as part of an organised gang of female thieves. Mirica has three previous convictions for similar offences dating back to her arrival in the UK five years ago, Southwark Crown Court heard. She stole almost £17,000 worth of items in one thieving expedition at Boots in Hornchurch, east London, on March 7 last year. On another occasion she made off with 10 Yves Saint Laurent concealers, totalling £300. She previously admitted to 30 counts of theft relating to goods worth £119,318 stolen from Boots at locations across London including Islington, the West End, Kensington, Harrow and Haringey. Mirica, who has three children, appeared on a video-link from HMP Bronzefield with her month-old baby in her arms. She was assisted throughout the hearing by a Romanian interpreter at the jail. Ben Wild, prosecuting, earlier said the offences related to ' group shoplifting from December 2023 to May 2024'. He said: 'None of the goods were recovered, all of the goods relate to fragrances or cosmetics. Effectively, it involves groups of apparently Romanian females concealing the products in long skirts or pockets, distracting security.' The court heard that on the occasion of the most high-value theft, Mirica was 'clearly seen equipped with a cabinet key' used to access a number of expensive products that were locked away. Scott Tuppen, defending, said earlier that Mirica has three young children, one whom suffers from a significant heart issue. He claimed her husband provides a 'firm financial footing' for the family and referred to his client's 'remorse' for committing the thefts. Sentencing Mirica, Judge Sally-Ann Hales KC, said: 'You are now 20 years old. You were 19 when you committed these offences. 'The pre-sentence report indicates you arrived in the UK approximately five years ago. You have accrued three convictions for five offences – all are offences of theft or going equipped for theft. They all relate to very similar offences of shoplifting.' The judge said Mirica had been 'largely uncooperative' with police in interview following her arrest. She said Mirica 'denied involvement in a broader criminal enterprise' and claimed the goods were for 'personal use', which she ruled was 'patently untrue'. Judge Hales added: 'In short, you sought to minimise your offending and showed little if any insight into your behaviour. I very much doubt you are sorry for committing these offences. Over a period of six months, you've committed 18 organised and high-value thefts. 'You were brazen about it – walking into a store, clearing the shelves or a cabinet, and walking out.' Mirica, of Haringey, was given 32 months immediate imprisonment and will serve 40 per cent of the term at the mothers-and-babies unit at HMP Bronzefield before being released on licence. She appeared unmoved as she was sentenced. The court will consider an application for a criminal behaviour order against Mirica on Sept 8.


The Guardian
2 days ago
- Lifestyle
- The Guardian
Worried about the cost of living crisis? Maybe you need another lipstick
Name: The lipstick effect. Age: Around since at least the 1930s. Appearance: Usually red or pink, but now available in a hydrating blush or nude. Something is different about you. What is it? Have you had your hair done? That'll be my new tinted lip balm – I've succumbed to the lipstick effect. You've done what now? I bought a luxury lip balm to make myself feel better about everything and I'm not alone: according to the Times, the market research organisation Circana has just reported that despite, or rather because of, the cost of living crisis, British consumers are 'splashing out on affordable luxuries like lipstick and other beauty buys to boost their mood', with 'prestige lip' product sales up 16% to £80.4m in the first half of this year. And that's the lipstick effect, is it? Yes. The phrase 'lipstick index' was popularised in 2001 by Leonard Lauder of cosmetics giant Estée Lauder, who noticed that lipstick sales across the company rose 11% after 9/11. Isn't there a similar theory about skirts? It's not quite the same: the hemline index, invented by economist George Taylor in 1926, was the theory that skirts got shorter in boom times and longer during a recession. Data suggests there is some truth to that, but it lags three years behind economic reality, so it doesn't tell you anything useful about the economy. So what about the lipstick effect – is that real? Well, cosmetics sales increased 25% during the Great Depression, too, and researchers found that during the 2008 crash there was 'a significant increase in average cosmetics expenditures among younger women (age 18-40)'. So, something might be going on. I don't understand why you would buy lipstick when the economy is circling the drain. Because it makes you feel better, dummy. In 2020, a research team explored whether lipstick purchasers in recessions might be trying to 'increase their attractiveness in order to find a mate' or boost their employment prospects, but concluded that they really just wanted a cheaper treat than clothes. So this is another iteration of 'little treat culture'. Probably: bougie condiment and fancy snack sales are also booming as people cut back on eating out. It's not surprising that when times are tough, people replace big splurges with small, affordable luxuries to keep their spirits up. Not surprising but fiscally irresponsible. Such frivolity! Yes, all right, Oliver Cromwell. At least this time around consumers are apparently choosing indulgent lip products with additional skincare benefits – this balm I'm wearing actually contains tripeptides and hyaluronic acid, so it's rejuvenating and pretty! Two for the price of one! Hmph. So irresponsible. Your lips look awfully pale and thin when you purse them like that – I recommend a swipe of ultra-hydrating kissable berry balm. Do say: 'I needed a little treat and this balm builds well to create a subtle, flattering, just-bitten lip effect.' Don't say: 'Maybe she's born with it, maybe it's an irrational response to impending global recession.'


The Guardian
2 days ago
- Lifestyle
- The Guardian
Worried about the cost of living crisis? Maybe you need another lipstick
Name: The lipstick effect. Age: Around since at least the 1930s. Appearance: Usually red or pink, but now available in a hydrating blush or nude. Something is different about you. What is it? Have you had your hair done? That'll be my new tinted lip balm – I've succumbed to the lipstick effect. You've done what now? I bought a luxury lip balm to make myself feel better about everything and I'm not alone: according to the Times, the market research organisation Circana has just reported that despite, or rather because of, the cost of living crisis, British consumers are 'splashing out on affordable luxuries like lipstick and other beauty buys to boost their mood', with 'prestige lip' product sales up 16% to £80.4m in the first half of this year. And that's the lipstick effect, is it? Yes. The phrase 'lipstick index' was popularised in 2001 by Leonard Lauder of cosmetics giant Estée Lauder, who noticed that lipstick sales across the company rose 11% after 9/11. Isn't there a similar theory about skirts? It's not quite the same: the hemline index, invented by economist George Taylor in 1926, was the theory that skirts got shorter in boom times and longer during a recession. Data suggests there is some truth to that, but it lags three years behind economic reality, so it doesn't tell you anything useful about the economy. So what about the lipstick effect – is that real? Well, cosmetics sales increased 25% during the Great Depression, too, and researchers found that during the 2008 crash there was 'a significant increase in average cosmetics expenditures among younger women (age 18-40)'. So, something might be going on. I don't understand why you would buy lipstick when the economy is circling the drain. Because it makes you feel better, dummy. In 2020, a research team explored whether lipstick purchasers in recessions might be trying to 'increase their attractiveness in order to find a mate' or boost their employment prospects, but concluded that they really just wanted a cheaper treat than clothes. So this is another iteration of 'little treat culture'. Probably: bougie condiment and fancy snack sales are also booming as people cut back on eating out. It's not surprising that when times are tough, people replace big splurges with small, affordable luxuries to keep their spirits up. Not surprising but fiscally irresponsible. Such frivolity! Yes, all right, Oliver Cromwell. At least this time around consumers are apparently choosing indulgent lip products with additional skincare benefits – this balm I'm wearing actually contains tripeptides and hyaluronic acid, so it's rejuvenating and pretty! Two for the price of one! Hmph. So irresponsible. Your lips look awfully pale and thin when you purse them like that – I recommend a swipe of ultra-hydrating kissable berry balm. Do say: 'I needed a little treat and this balm builds well to create a subtle, flattering, just-bitten lip effect.' Don't say: 'Maybe she's born with it, maybe it's an irrational response to impending global recession.'


CTV News
2 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Tariffs threaten Asian beauty product boom in U.S.
NEW YORK — When Amrita Bhasin, 24, learned that products from South Korea might be subject to a new tax when they entered the United States, she decided to stock up on the sheet masks from Korean brands like U-Need and MediHeal she uses a few times a week. 'I did a recent haul to stockpile,' she said. 'I bought 50 in bulk, which should last me a few months.' South Korea is one of the countries that hopes to secure a trade deal before the Aug. 1 date U.S. President Donald Trump set for enforcing nation-specific tariffs. A not-insignificant slice of the U.S. population has skin in the game when it comes to Seoul avoiding a 25 per cent duty on its exports. Asian skin care has been a booming global business for a more than a decade, with consumers in Europe, North and South America, and increasingly the Middle East, snapping up creams, serums and balms from South Korea, Japan and China. In the United States and elsewhere, Korean cosmetics, or K-beauty for short, have dominated the trend. A craze for all-in-one 'BB creams' — a combination of moisturizer, foundation and sunscreen — morphed into a fascination with 10-step rituals and ingredients like snail mucin, heartleaf and rice water. Vehicles and electronics may be South Korea's top exports to the U.S. by value, but the country shipped more skin care and cosmetics to the U.S. than any other last year, according to data from market research company Euromonitor. France, with storied beauty brands like L'Oreal and Chanel, was second, Euromonitor said. Statistics compiled by the U.S. International Trade Commission, an independent federal agency, show the U.S. imported US$1.7 billion worth of South Korean cosmetics in 2024, a 54 per cent increase from a year earlier. 'Korean beauty products not only add a lot of variety and choice for Americans, they really embraced them because they were offering something different for American consumers,' Mary Lovely, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, said. Along with media offerings such as 'Parasite' and 'Squid Games,' and the popularity of K-pop bands like BTS, K-beauty has helped boost South Korea's profile globally, she said. 'It's all part and parcel really of the same thing,' Lovely said. 'And it can't be completely stopped by a 25% tariff, but it's hard to see how it won't influence how much is sold in the U.S. And I think what we're hearing from producers is that it also really decreases the number of products they want to offer in this market.' Senti Senti, a retailer that sells international beauty products at two New York boutiques and through an e-commerce site, saw a bit of 'panic buying' by customers when Trump first imposed punitive tariffs on goods from specific countries, manager Winnie Zhong said. The rush slowed down after the president paused the new duties for 90 days and hasn't picked up again, Zhong said, even with Trump saying on July 7 that a 25 per cent tax on imports from Japan and South Korea would go into effect on Aug. 1. Japan, the Philippines and Indonesia subsequently reached agreements with the Trump administration that lowered the tariff rates their exported goods faced — in Japan's case, from 25 to 15 per cent — still higher than the current baseline of 10 per cent tariff. But South Korea has yet to clinch an agreement, despite having a free trade agreement since 2012 that allowed cosmetics and most other consumer goods to enter the U.S. tax-free. Since the first store owned by Senti Senti opened 16 years ago, beauty products from Japan and South Korea became more of a focus and now account for 90% the stock. The business hasn't had to pass on any tariff-related costs to customers yet, but that won't be possible if the products are subject to a 25 per cent import tax, Zhong said. 'I'm not really sure where the direction of K-beauty will go to with the tariffs in place, because one of the things with K-beauty or Asian beauty is that it's supposed to be accessible pricing,' she said. Devoted fans of Asian cosmetics will often buy direct from Asia and wait weeks for their packages to arrive because the products typically cost less than they do in American stores. Rather than stocking up on their favorite sunscreens, lip tints and toners, some shoppers are taking a pause due to the tariff uncertainty. Los Angeles resident Jen Chae, a content creator with over 1.2 million YouTube subscribers, has explored Korean and Japanese beauty products and became personally intrigued by Chinese beauty brands over the last year. When the tariffs were first announced, Chae temporarily paused ordering from sites such as a shopping platform owned by an e-commerce company based in Hong Kong. She did not know if she would have to pay customs duties on the products she bought or the ones brands sent to her as a creator. 'I wasn't sure if those would automatically charge the entire package with a blanket tariff cost, or if it was just on certain items,' Chae said. On its website, YesStyle says it will give customers store credit to reimburse them for import charges. At Ohlolly, an online store focused on Korean products, owners Sue Greene and Herra Namhie are taking a similar pause. They purchase direct from South Korea and from licensed wholesalers in the U.S., and store their inventory in a warehouse in Ontario, California. After years of no duties, a 25 per cent import tax would create a 'huge increase in costs to us,' Namhie said. She and Greene made two recent orders to replenish their stock when the tariffs were at 10 per cent. But they have put further restocks on hold 'because I don't think we can handle 25 per cent,' Namhie said. They'd have to raise prices, and then shoppers might go elsewhere. The business owners and sisters are holding out on hope the U.S. and Korea settle on a lower tariff or carve out exceptions for smaller ticket items like beauty products. But they only have two to four months of inventory in their warehouse. They say that in a month they'll have to make a decision on what products to order, what to discontinue and what prices will have to increase. Rachel Weingarten, a former makeup artist who writes a daily beauty newsletter called 'Hello Gorgeous!,' said while she's devoted to K-beauty products like lip masks and toner pads, she doesn't think stockpiling is a sound practice. 'Maybe one or two products, but natural oils, vulnerable packaging and expiration dates mean that your products could go rancid before you can get to them,' she said. Weingarten said she'll still buy Korean products if prices go up, but that the beauty world is bigger than one country. 'I'd still indulge in my favorites, but am always looking for great products in general,' she said. Bhasin, in Menlo Park, California, plans to keep buying her face masks too, even if the price goes up, because she likes the quality of Korean masks. 'If prices will go up, I will not shift to U.S. products,' she said. 'For face masks, I feel there are not a ton of solid and reliable substitutes in the U.S.' AP audience engagement editor Karena Phan in Los Angeles contributed to this report. Mae Anderson, The Associated Press