Ulta Beauty Ups Its Game With New CFO, Retail Power Plays

Ulta Beauty, Inc. (NASDAQ:ULTA) refreshes its leadership and strategy ahead of the holiday season, naming a new chief financial officer and highlighting strong year-to-date momentum.

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Yesterday, the firm named Christopher DelOrefice as its next CFO. He starts on Dec. 5, 2025, while Chris Lialios remains interim CFO until then.

Telsey Advisory Group analyst Dana Telsey reiterated an Outperform rating on Ulta Beauty with a price forecast of $610.

According to Benzinga Pro, Ulta stock has gained over 25% year to date.

Also Read: Goldman Upgrades Estee Lauder, Sees Growth Returning As China, Travel Retail Stabilize

Telsey said DelOrefice's finance, international and public-company experience fit Ulta's CFO needs and is a timely addition to support Ulta's evolution.

The company ended its Target partnership and acquired Space NK.

Given the business shift, Telsey said DelOrefice's track record is essential.

Telsey said Ulta's late-August update showed a clean operational beat and prompted a full-year outlook raise, thanks to strong first-half execution.

The analyst added that management remains prudently cautious on the back half given macro uncertainty, even as revenue, margins and EPS topped expectations on better category trends, sharper promotions and lower shrink that offset some deleverage and higher costs.

According to Telsey, CEO Kecia Steelman is steering the Beauty Unleashed plan well, with momentum and brand relevance building as strategy execution lifts growth and margin efficiency.

Under Steelman, Ulta launched UB Marketplace and opened partner stores in Mexico.

Telsey highlights Ulta's store base, infrastructure, omnichannel strength, loyalty engine, key brand partnerships, expanding international footprint and mass-to-prestige mix.

The analyst projects the company to report third-quarter earnings of $4.39. Investors can gain exposure to the stock via American Customer Satisfaction ETF (BATS:ACSI).

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