Bank of New York Mellon Corp Increases Stake in Ulta Beauty Inc. $ULTA

Key Points

• Bank of New York Mellon increased its Ulta Beauty stake by 14.2% in the fourth quarter, buying an additional 36,009 shares and bringing its holding to 289,648 shares worth about $175.2 million.
• Ulta reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $7.74 versus estimates of $6.89 and revenue of $3.16 billion topping forecasts. Revenue rose 11.1% year over year, and the company raised its FY2026 EPS guidance to 28.360-28.800.
• Wall Street remains constructive but cautious: several firms recently cut price targets, though ratings still lean bullish, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” and an average target of about $651.73. The stock was trading near $467, close to its 52-week low of $452 and well below its 52-week high of $714.97.

Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its holdings in Ulta Beauty Inc. (NASDAQ:ULTA - Free Report) by 14.2% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 289,648 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 36,009 shares during the quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp owned 0.65% of Ulta Beauty worth $175,240,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in ULTA. Fideuram Asset Management Ireland dac purchased a new position in Ulta Beauty in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC grew its holdings in shares of Ulta Beauty by 4,200.0% in the fourth quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 43 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 42 shares during the last quarter. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Ulta Beauty in the third quarter worth $31,000. BOKF NA purchased a new position in shares of Ulta Beauty in the third quarter worth $31,000. Finally, Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. raised its holdings in Ulta Beauty by 2,550.0% during the 4th quarter. Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. now owns 53 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 51 shares during the last quarter. 90.39% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ulta Beauty Stock Up 1.0%

NASDAQ:ULTA opened at $467.07 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $20.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.51, a PEG ratio of 1.48 and a beta of 0.86. The company's 50 day moving average price is $521.18 and its 200-day moving average price is $583.90. Ulta Beauty Inc. has a 52 week low of $452.00 and a 52 week high of $714.97.

Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ:ULTA - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, June 2nd. The specialty retailer reported $7.74 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $6.89 by $0.85. The business had revenue of $3.16 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.12 billion. Ulta Beauty had a return on equity of 44.77% and a net margin of 9.36%.Ulta Beauty's revenue was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $6.70 EPS. Ulta Beauty has set its FY 2026 guidance at 28.360-28.800 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Ulta Beauty Inc. will post 28.67 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Ulta Beauty

In related news, Director George R. Mrkonic, Jr. sold 452 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $539.29, for a total transaction of $243,759.08. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 2,383 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,285,128.07. This trade represents a 15.94% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.17% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Key Stories Impacting Ulta Beauty

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

• Positive Sentiment: New commentary argued Ulta remains a solid growth stock, pointing to above-average financial growth and the potential to outperform the market. Is Ulta (ULTA) a Solid Growth Stock? 3 Reasons to Think "Yes"
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market notes highlighted strong demand for premium beauty brands, with Ulta’s latest results and raised outlook suggesting the business is still holding up well. Ulta Beauty Sales Jump On Strong Demand For Higher-End Beauty Brands
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple broker updates lifted price targets, including JPMorgan, Barclays, and Robert W. Baird, reinforcing Wall Street’s constructive view on Ulta’s rebound potential. Ulta Beauty NASDAQ: ULTA Given New $631.00 Price Target at JPMorgan Chase & Co.
• Neutral Sentiment: Ulta’s presentation at the William Blair Growth Stock Conference kept the company in focus, but it did not appear to introduce a major new catalyst. Ulta Beauty, Inc. (ULTA) Presents at 46th Annual William Blair Growth Stock Conference Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: One retail-industry discussion emphasized that delivery reliability matters more than speed, which is relevant to Ulta’s operations but unlikely to move the stock on its own. Delivery reliability trumps speed, Macy’s and Ulta execs say
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the bullish long-term narrative, some coverage noted that the stock had been under pressure recently after earnings, suggesting investors remain cautious about near-term momentum. Ulta proves beauty's resilience, but guidance raises questions over momentum

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on ULTA. Oppenheimer dropped their target price on shares of Ulta Beauty from $750.00 to $650.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Friday, March 13th. Bank of America upgraded Ulta Beauty from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $685.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. Wedbush started coverage on Ulta Beauty in a report on Monday, April 20th. They set an "outperform" rating for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price target on Ulta Beauty from $741.00 to $652.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of Ulta Beauty from $750.00 to $631.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have assigned a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Ulta Beauty has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $651.73.

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.

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