Empowered Funds LLC Buys 4,722 Shares of Ulta Beauty Inc. $ULTA

Empowered Funds LLC raised its stake in Ulta Beauty Inc. (NASDAQ:ULTA - Free Report) by 26.8% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 22,360 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 4,722 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC owned 0.05% of Ulta Beauty worth $11,688,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Diamant Asset Management Inc. grew its stake in Ulta Beauty by 52,171.0% in the 1st quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 1,474,042 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $77,050,000 after buying an additional 1,471,222 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Ulta Beauty during the fourth quarter worth approximately $430,963,000. Corient Private Wealth LLC lifted its position in Ulta Beauty by 1,837.4% during the fourth quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 230,998 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $139,756,000 after acquiring an additional 219,075 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of Ulta Beauty by 33.6% during the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 840,383 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $459,479,000 after acquiring an additional 211,485 shares during the period. Finally, Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec boosted its holdings in shares of Ulta Beauty by 249.8% during the third quarter. Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec now owns 295,833 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $161,747,000 after acquiring an additional 211,266 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.39% of the company's stock.

Ulta Beauty News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: BofA reiterated its Buy rating and said Ulta could recapture approximately $650 million in gross merchandise value following the end of its Target partnership. The analyst believes the opportunity could support future revenue and EBIT growth as Ulta redirects customers and sales through its own stores and channels. Ulta Beauty Could Turn Target Partnership Exit into a Revenue Growth Opportunity
• Positive Sentiment: Recent partnerships are reinforcing Ulta’s growth narrative. A collaboration with Pacsun combines fashion and beauty merchandising, while intimate-wellness brand plusOne launched at Ulta. These initiatives could increase traffic, broaden product offerings and drive incremental basket growth. Pacsun and Ulta Beauty Collaboration
• Positive Sentiment: Strong first-quarter execution continues to support investor confidence. Ulta recently reported 11.1% revenue growth to about $3.2 billion, 5.3% comparable-sales growth and a 15.5% increase in diluted EPS to $7.74. Management raised fiscal 2026 EPS guidance to $28.36–$28.80 while maintaining its 6%–7% sales-growth outlook.
• Neutral Sentiment: Value and momentum screens, including Zacks’ commentary, identify ULTA as attractively valued relative to its earnings and growth profile. However, these are quantitative assessments rather than new company-specific catalysts. Why Ulta Beauty Is a Strong Value Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Recent insider activity showed sales rather than purchases, although the disclosed transactions were limited and do not necessarily indicate a change in Ulta’s operating outlook.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently commented on ULTA. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their target price on Ulta Beauty from $741.00 to $652.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Piper Sandler dropped their price target on Ulta Beauty from $725.00 to $600.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Bank of America upgraded Ulta Beauty from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $685.00 price target for the company in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th. TD Cowen reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Ulta Beauty in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on Ulta Beauty from $750.00 to $631.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have given a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Ulta Beauty presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $638.09.

Ulta Beauty Trading Up 1.3%

Shares of ULTA opened at $508.09 on Thursday. Ulta Beauty Inc. has a 12 month low of $443.60 and a 12 month high of $714.97. The firm's 50 day moving average is $477.28 and its 200-day moving average is $554.98. The stock has a market capitalization of $21.84 billion, a PE ratio of 19.05, a P/E/G ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 0.88.

Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ:ULTA - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, June 2nd. The specialty retailer reported $7.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.89 by $0.85. The business had revenue of $3.16 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.12 billion. Ulta Beauty had a return on equity of 44.77% and a net margin of 9.36%.The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $6.70 earnings per share. Ulta Beauty has set its FY 2026 guidance at 28.360-28.800 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Ulta Beauty Inc. will post 28.77 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Ulta Beauty

In other 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 transaction of $182,246.72. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 2,404 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,143,919.36. This represents a 13.74% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.20% of the company's stock.

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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