Cookson Peirce & Co. Inc. Has $11.57 Million Holdings in Ulta Beauty Inc. $ULTA

Key Points

• Cookson Peirce & Co. Inc. dramatically increased its Ulta Beauty stake by 936.8% in the fourth quarter, ending with 19,118 shares valued at about $11.57 million.
• Several other hedge funds also boosted or initiated positions in Ulta, and institutional investors now own 90.39% of the stock, underscoring broad professional interest.
• Ulta reported strong quarterly results, with EPS of $7.74 beating estimates and revenue of $3.16 billion topping forecasts, while analysts kept a generally positive outlook with an average “Moderate Buy” rating and consensus target price of $651.73.

Cookson Peirce & Co. Inc. grew its position in Ulta Beauty Inc. (NASDAQ:ULTA - Free Report) by 936.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 19,118 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 17,274 shares during the period. Cookson Peirce & Co. Inc.'s holdings in Ulta Beauty were worth $11,567,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. PBU The Pension Fund of Early Childhood & Youth Educators acquired a new position in shares of Ulta Beauty during the 4th quarter valued at about $11,266,000. WINTON GROUP Ltd increased its holdings in shares of Ulta Beauty by 159.5% during the 4th quarter. WINTON GROUP Ltd now owns 8,102 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $4,902,000 after acquiring an additional 4,980 shares during the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Ulta Beauty by 12.2% during the 4th quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 707 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $428,000 after acquiring an additional 77 shares during the last quarter. Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd increased its holdings in shares of Ulta Beauty by 17.1% during the 4th quarter. Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd now owns 1,686 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $1,020,000 after acquiring an additional 246 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Prudential PLC increased its holdings in shares of Ulta Beauty by 2.1% during the 4th quarter. Prudential PLC now owns 18,193 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $11,007,000 after acquiring an additional 377 shares during the last quarter. 90.39% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently commented on ULTA. Canaccord Genuity Group lowered their price objective on Ulta Beauty from $799.00 to $731.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. Guggenheim began coverage on Ulta Beauty in a report on Monday, April 20th. They set a "buy" rating on the stock. Weiss Ratings lowered Ulta Beauty from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a report on Wednesday. Piper Sandler lowered their price objective on Ulta Beauty from $725.00 to $600.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. Finally, UBS Group lowered their price objective on Ulta Beauty from $810.00 to $735.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have issued a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Ulta Beauty has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $651.73.

Trending Headlines about 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

Ulta Beauty Stock Up 1.0%

ULTA opened at $467.07 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $20.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.50 and a beta of 0.86. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $521.18 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $583.90. Ulta Beauty Inc. has a 12-month low of $452.00 and a 12-month high of $714.97.

Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ:ULTA - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, June 2nd. The specialty retailer reported $7.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $6.89 by $0.85. The firm had revenue of $3.16 billion for 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%.The company's revenue was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $6.70 EPS. Ulta Beauty has set its FY 2026 guidance at 28.360-28.800 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Ulta Beauty Inc. will post 28.72 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Ulta Beauty

In other Ulta Beauty news, Director George R. Mrkonic, Jr. sold 452 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $539.29, for a total value of $243,759.08. Following the sale, the director owned 2,383 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,285,128.07. This trade represents a 15.94% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.17% of the stock is owned by company 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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