BlackRock Inc. Purchases Shares of 4,026,148 Ulta Beauty Inc. $ULTA

Key Points

• BlackRock acquired 4.03 million Ulta Beauty shares in the second quarter, worth approximately $1.82 billion, giving it a 9.37% stake. Institutional investors collectively own 90.39% of the company.
• Ulta’s latest quarterly results exceeded expectations, with earnings of $7.74 per share and revenue of $3.16 billion, up 11.1% year over year. The company maintained fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $28.36–$28.80.
• Analysts remain broadly positive, with a “Moderate Buy” consensus and average price target of $638.09, although several firms recently lowered their targets. Ulta is adding exclusive beauty brands, while the loss of its Target shop-in-shop arrangement presents a distribution risk.

BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in Ulta Beauty Inc. (NASDAQ:ULTA - Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 4,026,148 shares of the specialty retailer's stock, valued at approximately $1,815,712,000. BlackRock Inc. owned approximately 9.37% of Ulta Beauty as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Fideuram Asset Management Ireland dac acquired a new position in shares of Ulta Beauty during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Ulta Beauty by 860.0% in the 1st quarter. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC now owns 48 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares in the last quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC grew its stake in Ulta Beauty by 4,200.0% during the 4th quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 43 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 42 shares during the last quarter. Clearstead Trust LLC acquired a new position in Ulta Beauty during the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. Finally, Ascentis Independent Advisors acquired a new position in Ulta Beauty during the 1st quarter valued at about $29,000. 90.39% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ulta Beauty News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Ulta announced an exclusive U.S. partnership with hair-wellness brand Nutrire. The brand will launch on Ulta.com before expanding to approximately 250 stores, while skincare brand Dr. Reju-All is making its nationwide retail debut through Ulta. The launches could strengthen Ulta’s assortment, attract new customers and support its emerging-brand “Sparked” strategy. Ulta Beauty Adds Exclusive Brand Launch And 250 Store Rollout
• Positive Sentiment: China’s largest beauty company is reportedly expanding in the U.S. through a deal with Ulta. The partnership may increase product selection and international beauty-brand traffic across Ulta’s digital and store network. China’s Biggest Beauty Firm to Expand in US With Ulta Deal
• Positive Sentiment: Investors are focused on Ulta’s August 27 earnings release, with expectations for year-over-year earnings and revenue growth. Recent analysis also points to resilient loyalty-program performance, supporting the view that customer engagement remains a key strength. Is Ulta Beauty Below Fair Value Following Earnings Hopes and the Nutrire Launch? Ulta Beauty Stock May Be 10% Undervalued as Loyalty Growth Holds Up
• Neutral Sentiment: Ulta and Estée Lauder announced new executive appointments. The changes could affect strategy over time, but the available report does not indicate an immediate financial impact. Ulta Beauty and Estée Lauder Name New Executives
• Negative Sentiment: Target has ended its Ulta shop-in-shop arrangement and plans to replace it with its own Beauty Studio concept in roughly 600 locations. Losing that distribution channel could reduce Ulta’s reach and sales potential, although the company is simultaneously adding exclusive brands and other growth partners. Ulta’s Target Exit and Nutrire Deal Might Change the Case for Investing in Ulta Beauty

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on ULTA shares. Robert W. Baird lowered their price target on Ulta Beauty from $730.00 to $700.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. B. Riley Financial cut their price objective on shares of Ulta Beauty from $600.00 to $500.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Canaccord Genuity Group decreased their price objective on shares of Ulta Beauty from $799.00 to $731.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of Ulta Beauty from $475.00 to $450.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. Finally, Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on shares of Ulta Beauty from $700.00 to $630.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have assigned a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Ulta Beauty currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $638.09.

Ulta Beauty Stock Performance

Shares of ULTA opened at $527.85 on Thursday. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $488.14 and a two-hundred day moving average of $540.76. Ulta Beauty Inc. has a one year low of $443.60 and a one year high of $714.97. The stock has a market cap of $22.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.79, a P/E/G ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 0.87.

Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ:ULTA - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, June 2nd. The specialty retailer reported $7.74 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.89 by $0.85. The business had revenue of $3.16 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.12 billion. Ulta Beauty had a return on equity of 44.77% and a net margin of 9.36%.The company's quarterly revenue was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $6.70 EPS. Ulta Beauty has set its FY 2026 guidance at 28.360-28.800 EPS. Analysts predict that Ulta Beauty Inc. will post 28.76 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director George R. Mrkonic, Jr. sold 383 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $475.84, for a total value of $182,246.72. Following the sale, the director owned 2,404 shares in the company, valued at $1,143,919.36. This represents a 13.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.20% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Ulta Beauty 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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