Ulta Beauty Inc. (NASDAQ:ULTA) Stock Has Consensus Target Price of $627.83 According to Analysts

Key Points

• Analyst sentiment is moderately positive: Ulta Beauty has a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating from 32 analysts, with 24 buys and 8 holds. The average 12-month price target is $627.83.
• Ulta exceeded quarterly expectations: The retailer reported $6.55 in EPS versus the $6.22 consensus estimate and revenue of $3.04 billion versus $2.99 billion expected. Quarterly revenue increased 8.9% year over year, while full-year EPS guidance is $28.70–$29.00.
• Institutional ownership remains high, while insiders sold shares: Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.39% of the stock, compared with 0.20% held by insiders. CEO Kecia Steelman and director Lorna Nagler recently sold portions of their holdings.

Ulta Beauty Inc. (NASDAQ:ULTA - Get Free Report) has been assigned an average rating of "Moderate Buy" from the thirty-two analysts that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and twenty-four have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $627.83.

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Barclays lowered their price objective on Ulta Beauty from $647.00 to $645.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 28th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price target on Ulta Beauty from $692.00 to $695.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 25th. Citigroup cut Ulta Beauty from a "neutral" rating to a "market perform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 15th. TD Cowen restated a "buy" rating on shares of Ulta Beauty in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. Finally, Guggenheim initiated coverage on shares of Ulta Beauty in a report on Tuesday, September 15th. They set a "buy" rating on the stock.

Insider Activity at Ulta Beauty

In other Ulta Beauty news, CEO Kecia Steelman sold 2,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $545.88, for a total transaction of $1,091,760.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 40,489 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $22,102,135.32. The trade was a 4.71% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Director Lorna Nagler sold 600 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $537.31, for a total transaction of $322,386.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 7,168 shares in the company, valued at $3,851,438.08. The trade was a 7.72% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.20% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ulta Beauty

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. V Square Quantitative Management LLC lifted its position in Ulta Beauty by 7.1% during the 3rd quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 1,689 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $922,000 after acquiring an additional 112 shares during the period. Draper Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Ulta Beauty by 15.6% in the third quarter. Draper Asset Management LLC now owns 12,234 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $6,682,000 after purchasing an additional 1,655 shares during the period. Avity Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Ulta Beauty by 5.4% in the third quarter. Avity Investment Management Inc. now owns 507 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $277,000 after purchasing an additional 26 shares during the last quarter. Wedmont Private Capital raised its stake in shares of Ulta Beauty by 17.0% in the third quarter. Wedmont Private Capital now owns 1,067 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $602,000 after purchasing an additional 155 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Central Bank & Trust Co. raised its stake in shares of Ulta Beauty by 1.5% in the third quarter. Central Bank & Trust Co. now owns 1,742 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $951,000 after purchasing an additional 26 shares during the last quarter. 90.39% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ulta Beauty Price Performance

ULTA opened at $592.94 on Friday. Ulta Beauty has a 1 year low of $443.60 and a 1 year high of $714.97. The firm has a market capitalization of $25.35 billion, a PE ratio of 21.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.82 and a beta of 0.84. The business's 50-day moving average is $545.73 and its two-hundred day moving average is $517.10.

Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ:ULTA - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 27th. The specialty retailer reported $6.55 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $6.22 by $0.33. Ulta Beauty had a net margin of 9.34% and a return on equity of 45.40%. The firm had revenue of $3.04 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.99 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $5.78 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 8.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Ulta Beauty has set its FY 2026 guidance at 28.700-29.000 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Ulta Beauty will post 28.95 EPS for the current year.

About Ulta Beauty

Ulta Beauty, Inc is a specialty beauty retailer that operates stores and an e-commerce platform in the United States. The company offers a broad assortment of prestige and mass-market beauty products, including cosmetics, skincare, haircare products, fragrances, bath and body items, and beauty tools.

In addition to merchandise, Ulta Beauty provides salon services such as hair styling, hair treatments, and related services at many of its locations. Its stores typically combine product retailing with salon operations and may also offer beauty services provided by licensed professionals.

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