Canada Pension Plan Investment Board Makes New Investment in Ulta Beauty Inc. $ULTA

Key Points

• Canada Pension Plan Investment Board purchased 9,763 Ulta Beauty shares during the second quarter, valued at approximately $4.4 million. Institutional investors collectively own 90.39% of the company.
• Ulta reported quarterly revenue of $3.04 billion and earnings of $6.55 per share, exceeding analyst expectations, while revenue increased 8.9% year over year. The company raised fiscal 2026 EPS guidance to $28.70–$29.00 and expanded its planned share repurchases to $1.8 billion.
• Analysts remain broadly positive, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and average price target of $626.59, though concerns include potentially weaker near-term comparable sales and increased competition from Target’s beauty expansion.

Canada Pension Plan Investment Board bought a new stake in Ulta Beauty Inc. (NASDAQ:ULTA - Free Report) during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 9,763 shares of the specialty retailer's stock, valued at approximately $4,403,000.

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

Insider Activity

In other Ulta Beauty news, Director George R. Mrkonic, Jr. sold 383 shares of the company's stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the director owned 2,404 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,143,919.36. This represents a 13.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.20% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have commented on ULTA. Raymond James Financial restated a "strong-buy" rating and set a $700.00 price target on shares of Ulta Beauty in a research report on Friday. Evercore set a $635.00 price objective on shares of Ulta Beauty in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. Robert W. Baird dropped their target price on Ulta Beauty from $730.00 to $700.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Piper Sandler cut their target price on Ulta Beauty from $725.00 to $600.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Finally, DA Davidson increased their price target on Ulta Beauty from $585.00 to $625.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have issued a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $626.59.

Ulta Beauty Stock Performance

NASDAQ:ULTA opened at $517.50 on Monday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $497.56 and a 200-day moving average of $533.60. The firm has a market cap of $22.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 0.87. Ulta Beauty Inc. has a twelve month low of $443.60 and a twelve month high of $714.97.

Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ:ULTA - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 27th. The specialty retailer reported $6.55 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 business had revenue of $3.04 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.99 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $5.78 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 8.9% on a year-over-year basis. Ulta Beauty has set its FY 2026 guidance at 28.700-29.000 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Ulta Beauty Inc. will post 28.9 earnings per share for the current year.

Key Stories Impacting Ulta Beauty

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

• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly results exceeded expectations. Ulta reported $6.55 in EPS versus the $6.20 consensus and revenue of approximately $3.04 billion, up 8.9% year over year and ahead of the $2.99 billion estimate. Comparable sales rose 3.8%, while digital sales, loyalty growth, new brands and stronger execution supported performance. Ulta Beauty Q2 Earnings Beat as Sales Rise, FY26 View Raised
• Positive Sentiment: Ulta raised its fiscal 2026 outlook and expanded capital returns. The company now expects EPS of $28.70–$29.00, up from $28.36–$28.80, and revenue of roughly $13.2–$13.3 billion. It also increased its planned share repurchases to $1.8 billion, which could provide support for per-share earnings. Ulta Beauty Targets Sales Growth and Buybacks
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts remain broadly constructive, but estimates are mixed. DA Davidson raised its price target to $625 and maintained a Buy rating, while Bank of America lowered its target to $650 but also kept a Buy rating. The conflicting revisions suggest confidence in Ulta’s long-term share gains, alongside caution about valuation and execution risks.
• Negative Sentiment: The market reaction reflects concerns about forward momentum. Management indicated that third-quarter comparable-sales comparisons may be weaker than fourth-quarter comparisons, increasing the risk of a temporary slowdown. Investors are also focused on Target’s rollout of its own Beauty Studio in more than 600 stores, including five former Ulta locations in South Carolina, potentially intensifying competition for prestige beauty customers. Ulta is responding by emphasizing exclusive products and brand differentiation. Ulta Leans Into Exclusivity Amid Target Competition

About Ulta Beauty

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ULTA? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Ulta Beauty Inc. (NASDAQ:ULTA - Free Report).

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