Ulta Beauty Inc. (NASDAQ:ULTA) Given Average Rating of "Moderate Buy" by Brokerages

Key Points

• Analysts remain broadly positive on Ulta Beauty: Twenty-seven analysts give the stock an average “Moderate Buy” rating, with 19 buys and one strong buy. The average 12-month price target is $636.41, although several firms recently lowered their targets.
• Ulta exceeded quarterly expectations and raised its outlook: Earnings per share came in at $6.55 versus a $6.20 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 8.9% year over year to $3.04 billion. Management raised fiscal 2026 EPS guidance to $28.70–$29.00 and projected revenue of $13.2–$13.3 billion.
• Growth is supported by stronger profitability and institutional ownership, but competition is increasing: Operating profit and cash flow improved, and institutional investors own 90.39% of the stock. However, Target’s development of an upscale beauty concept after ending its Ulta partnership could intensify competition.

Ulta Beauty Inc. (NASDAQ:ULTA - Get Free Report) has earned an average rating of "Moderate Buy" from the twenty-seven analysts that are covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating, nineteen have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price target among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $636.4091.

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on ULTA shares. Piper Sandler dropped their price objective on shares of Ulta Beauty from $725.00 to $600.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of Ulta Beauty from $750.00 to $631.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on shares of Ulta Beauty from $700.00 to $630.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. B. Riley Financial dropped their price objective on shares of Ulta Beauty from $600.00 to $500.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group reduced their price objective on shares of Ulta Beauty from $799.00 to $731.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd.

Ulta Beauty Stock Performance

NASDAQ:ULTA opened at $540.10 on Friday. The firm's fifty day moving average is $496.33 and its 200-day moving average is $534.86. Ulta Beauty has a 52 week low of $443.60 and a 52 week high of $714.97. The firm has a market cap of $23.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.25, a P/E/G ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 0.87.

Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ:ULTA - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 27th. The specialty retailer reported $6.55 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.20 by $0.35. The firm had revenue of $3.04 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.99 billion. Ulta Beauty had a return on equity of 44.77% and a net margin of 9.36%.The business's quarterly revenue was up 8.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $5.78 EPS. Ulta Beauty has set its FY 2026 guidance at 28.700-29.000 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Ulta Beauty will post 28.77 earnings per share for the current year.

More Ulta Beauty News

Here are the key news stories impacting Ulta Beauty this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Ulta reported quarterly EPS of $6.55, up 13.3% year over year and ahead of estimates near $6.20-$6.21. Revenue increased 8.9% to approximately $3.0 billion-$3.04 billion, also exceeding expectations. Ulta Beauty raises annual forecast after quarterly profit beats estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Management raised fiscal 2026 guidance to $28.70-$29.00 in EPS, from $28.36-$28.80 previously, and projected revenue of $13.2-$13.3 billion. The new outlook is above consensus expectations and signals confidence in continued sales and profit growth. Ulta Beauty Raises Forecast as Sales Grow
• Positive Sentiment: Profitability and cash generation improved: operating profit rose 10.1% to $379.6 million, while operating cash flow increased 24% to $119.7 million. International expansion and new initiatives were also cited as growth drivers. Ulta Beauty Beats Wall Street Expectations, Raises Full-year Forecasts
• Neutral Sentiment: Ulta expanded its product assortment and appointed retail executive Brieane L. Olson as an independent director, developments that may support merchandising and governance over the longer term.
• Negative Sentiment: Target is developing its own upscale beauty concept after ending its Ulta partnership, potentially increasing competition for prestige beauty shoppers. Recent insider activity also included sales rather than purchases, though these signals are less significant than the earnings beat and raised guidance. Target Launches Beauty Space

Insider Transactions at Ulta Beauty

In other Ulta Beauty news, Director George R. Mrkonic, Jr. sold 383 shares of Ulta Beauty stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $475.84, for a total transaction of $182,246.72. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 2,404 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,143,919.36. The trade was a 13.74% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.20% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Ulta Beauty

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of ULTA. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Ulta Beauty during the 4th quarter valued at $430,963,000. Atria Investments Inc boosted its holdings in shares of Ulta Beauty by 42.7% in the 4th quarter. Atria Investments Inc now owns 6,996 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $4,233,000 after buying an additional 2,093 shares during the last quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Ulta Beauty by 97.3% in the 1st quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 35,739 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $18,681,000 after buying an additional 17,625 shares during the last quarter. National Pension Service grew its position in Ulta Beauty by 2,704.0% during the fourth quarter. National Pension Service now owns 79,465 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $48,077,000 after buying an additional 76,631 shares during the period. Finally, Oxbow Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Ulta Beauty during the first quarter worth about $3,024,000. 90.39% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ulta Beauty Company Profile

Ulta Beauty, Inc NASDAQ: ULTA is a U.S.-based specialty retailer and beauty services provider focused on cosmetics, fragrance, skin care, hair care, bath and body, and beauty tools. The company operates a dual-format business that combines brick-and-mortar retail stores with an e-commerce platform, offering a broad assortment of national, prestige and mass-market brands alongside its own private-label products. In many locations Ulta also provides full-service salon treatments, positioning the company as a one-stop destination for product discovery and in-store services.

The retailer's product mix spans color cosmetics, haircare and styling products, skin and body care, fragrance, and accessories, catering to a wide range of consumer preferences and price points.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.

Continue following MarketBeat

Add MarketBeat as your preferred source on Google to see our latest stories in your feed.

Add As Preferred Source