Shares of Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ: ULTA) surged 14.76% in pre-market trading on Friday, following the release of its impressive first-quarter fiscal 2025 results and an upward revision of its full-year outlook. The beauty retailer's performance exceeded analyst expectations, demonstrating resilience in a challenging consumer environment.

For the first quarter ended May 3, Ulta Beauty reported earnings per share of $6.70, significantly beating the analyst consensus estimate of $5.77. The company's revenue also outperformed, reaching $2.85 billion, a 4.5% increase from the previous year and surpassing the expected $2.79 billion. Notably, comparable sales rose by 2.9%, driven by increases in both average ticket size and number of transactions.

Adding to investor optimism, Ulta Beauty raised its fiscal 2025 guidance. The company now projects net sales between $11.5 billion and $11.7 billion, up from the previous upper range of $11.6 billion. The earnings per share forecast was also lifted to $22.65-$23.20, compared to the earlier projection of $22.50-$22.90. While CEO Kecia Steelman acknowledged ongoing uncertainties in the operating environment, stating, "The operating environment is fluid, and our outlook reflects uncertainty around how consumer demand could evolve," the strong start to the year and the company's strategic positioning have bolstered confidence in Ulta Beauty's growth trajectory.