Freestone Grove Partners LP Acquires New Position in Ulta Beauty Inc. $ULTA

Key Points

• Freestone Grove Partners acquired 76,098 Ulta Beauty shares worth approximately $34.3 million, giving it a 0.18% stake. Institutional investors collectively own 90.39% of the company.
• Analysts maintain a broadly positive outlook, with Ulta carrying a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $636.41, despite several recent target reductions.
• Ulta’s latest quarter beat expectations on earnings and revenue, while strong traffic and demand could support another comparable-sales beat; however, Target’s expanding prestige-beauty offering presents a growing competitive risk.

Freestone Grove Partners LP bought a new position in Ulta Beauty Inc. (NASDAQ:ULTA - Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 76,098 shares of the specialty retailer's stock, valued at approximately $34,319,000. Freestone Grove Partners LP owned 0.18% of Ulta Beauty at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Fideuram Asset Management Ireland dac bought a new stake in Ulta Beauty in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC grew its position in Ulta Beauty by 4,200.0% in the 4th quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 43 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 42 shares during the last quarter. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC grew its position in 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 during the last quarter. Nalls Sherbakoff Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Ulta Beauty in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Finally, Virtus Advisers LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Ulta Beauty in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $33,000. 90.39% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Ulta Beauty News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Potential same-store sales beat: Deutsche Bank expects Ulta’s fiscal second-quarter comparable-sales growth to exceed market expectations. Strong traffic, demand for beauty products and resilient consumer spending could support revenue and earnings. Ulta Beauty Second-Quarter Same-Store Sales Poised for Beat
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street remains broadly optimistic: Analysts continue to show a favorable outlook for ULTA despite its weaker performance versus the broader market over the past year. The upbeat target-price commentary may help support investor confidence ahead of results. What Are Wall Street Analysts' Target Price for Ulta Beauty Stock?
• Positive Sentiment: New brand partnership: Ulta is expanding its assortment through a nationwide U.S. agreement with Chinese beauty brand Proya, potentially adding product innovation and international growth to its sales mix. Proya Steps Up Overseas Expansion Through Agreement With Ulta Beauty
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings are the next major catalyst: Analysts are focused on comparable sales, margins, customer trends and updated guidance in Thursday’s fiscal second-quarter report. Ulta’s latest reported quarter already exceeded consensus EPS and revenue estimates, raising expectations for another solid performance. Ulta Beauty Q2 2026 Earnings Preview
• Negative Sentiment: Target is becoming a more direct competitor: Following its separation from Ulta, Target plans to introduce upscale beauty studios in stores and expand its selection to more than 90 prestige brands across over 600 locations. This could increase pressure on Ulta’s traffic, market share and brand exclusivity over time. Target Unveils New Beauty Spaces

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Loop Capital reiterated a "hold" rating and set a $550.00 price objective on shares of Ulta Beauty in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Bank of America upgraded Ulta Beauty from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $685.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on Ulta Beauty from $475.00 to $450.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. DA Davidson decreased their price target on Ulta Beauty from $650.00 to $585.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. Finally, Argus set a $550.00 price target on Ulta Beauty in a report on Thursday, June 18th. One 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 assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $636.41.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director George R. Mrkonic, Jr. sold 383 shares of Ulta Beauty 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 transaction, the director directly owned 2,404 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,143,919.36. This trade represents a 13.74% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 0.20% of the company's stock.

Ulta Beauty Price Performance

Ulta Beauty stock opened at $543.19 on Thursday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $494.65 and a 200-day simple moving average of $535.92. The stock has a market capitalization of $23.35 billion, a PE ratio of 20.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 0.87. Ulta Beauty Inc. has a 12-month low of $443.60 and a 12-month high of $714.97.

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

Ulta Beauty Company 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.

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