Fifth Third Bancorp Boosts Stock Holdings in Ulta Beauty Inc. $ULTA

Key Points

• Fifth Third Bancorp increased its Ulta Beauty stake by 165.2% in the first quarter, ending with 11,884 shares valued at about $6.21 million.
• Ulta reported strong fiscal Q1 results, with earnings of $7.74 per share beating estimates and revenue of $3.16 billion topping expectations; revenue also rose 11.1% year over year.
• Analysts remain generally constructive on Ulta, with a Moderate Buy consensus and an average price target of $638.09, though several firms recently trimmed their targets.

Fifth Third Bancorp grew its stake in shares of Ulta Beauty Inc. (NASDAQ:ULTA - Free Report) by 165.2% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 11,884 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after buying an additional 7,403 shares during the quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp's holdings in Ulta Beauty were worth $6,212,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Ulta Beauty during the fourth quarter worth about $430,963,000. Oliver Luxxe Assets LLC bought a new position in Ulta Beauty in the fourth quarter worth about $8,009,000. Atria Investments Inc lifted its holdings in Ulta Beauty by 42.7% in the fourth quarter. Atria Investments Inc now owns 6,996 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $4,233,000 after buying an additional 2,093 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC lifted its holdings in Ulta Beauty by 222.7% in the fourth quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 23,163 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $14,014,000 after buying an additional 15,985 shares during the period. Finally, Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. boosted its position in Ulta Beauty by 27.6% during the 4th quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 271,671 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $164,364,000 after acquiring an additional 58,719 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.39% of the company's stock.

Ulta Beauty Stock Up 2.7%

ULTA stock opened at $478.86 on Friday. The business has a 50 day moving average of $479.16 and a 200 day moving average of $563.80. The firm has a market cap of $20.59 billion, a PE ratio of 17.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.45 and a beta of 0.88. 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 Tuesday, June 2nd. The specialty retailer reported $7.74 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.89 by $0.85. Ulta Beauty had a return on equity of 44.77% and a net margin of 9.36%.The business had revenue of $3.16 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.12 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $6.70 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Ulta Beauty has set its FY 2026 guidance at 28.360-28.800 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Ulta Beauty Inc. will post 28.76 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on ULTA. Barclays decreased their target price on Ulta Beauty from $712.00 to $647.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded Ulta Beauty from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $635.00 to $700.00 in a report on Monday, April 20th. Guggenheim began coverage on Ulta Beauty in a research report on Monday, April 20th. They set a "buy" rating for the company. Piper Sandler dropped their target price on shares of Ulta Beauty from $725.00 to $600.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Finally, Citigroup decreased their price target on shares of Ulta Beauty from $600.00 to $560.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, June 4th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have issued a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Ulta Beauty has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $638.09.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director George R. Mrkonic, Jr. sold 383 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 15th. The shares were 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 in the company, valued at $1,143,919.36. The trade was a 13.74% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.20% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Trending Headlines about Ulta Beauty

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

• Positive Sentiment: Ulta appointed board member Kelly E. Garcia as Chief Technology Officer, signaling continued investment in technology, personalization, and digital/omnichannel capabilities that could support long-term growth. Ulta Beauty names Domino’s veteran as CTO
• Positive Sentiment: Recent market commentary highlighted Ulta as a strong momentum stock and a top long-term idea, which can reinforce investor confidence in the shares. Here's Why Ulta Beauty (ULTA) is a Strong Momentum Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks also pointed to Ulta’s positive earnings outlook as a reason it remains attractive for long-term investors. Why Ulta Beauty (ULTA) is a Top Stock for the Long-Term
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage noted that Ulta’s stock has been rising alongside a weaker broader market, reflecting relative strength rather than a major new company-specific catalyst. Ulta Beauty (ULTA) Rises As Market Takes a Dip: Key Facts
• Neutral Sentiment: Ulta also drew attention for its ongoing omnichannel investments in loyalty, content, and stores, but this was more of a strategic update than a fresh earnings-related catalyst. Loyalty, Content and Stores: How Ulta Beauty is Investing in Omnichannel

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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