Geode Capital Management LLC Acquires 21,947 Shares of Ulta Beauty Inc. $ULTA

Key Points

• Geode Capital Management increased its Ulta Beauty stake by 1.8% in the fourth quarter, buying 21,947 more shares and bringing its holdings to 1,240,210 shares valued at about $747.6 million.
• Ulta reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $8.01 versus $7.93 expected and revenue of $3.90 billion versus $3.81 billion expected, while revenue rose 11.8% year over year.
• Despite the earnings beat and positive analyst sentiment, ULTA shares were down 2.2% in recent trading, and the stock has pulled back from its 52-week high as investors remain cautious ahead of future results.

Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Ulta Beauty Inc. (NASDAQ:ULTA - Free Report) by 1.8% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 1,240,210 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 21,947 shares during the quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC owned 2.80% of Ulta Beauty worth $747,587,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC increased its position in Ulta Beauty by 4,200.0% during the fourth quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 43 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 42 shares during the last quarter. Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. increased its position in Ulta Beauty by 2,550.0% during the fourth quarter. Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. now owns 53 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 51 shares during the last quarter. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Ulta Beauty during the third quarter valued at $31,000. BOKF NA purchased a new stake in Ulta Beauty during the third quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Ulta Beauty during the fourth quarter valued at $44,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.39% of the company's stock.

Ulta Beauty Stock Down 2.2%

Shares of ULTA opened at $508.85 on Friday. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $525.68 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $585.59. The stock has a market cap of $22.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.85, a PEG ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 0.89. Ulta Beauty Inc. has a 52 week low of $414.21 and a 52 week high of $714.97.

Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ:ULTA - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 12th. The specialty retailer reported $8.01 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $7.93 by $0.08. The business had revenue of $3.90 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.81 billion. Ulta Beauty had a return on equity of 43.56% and a net margin of 9.31%.The business's quarterly revenue was up 11.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $8.46 earnings per share. Ulta Beauty has set its FY 2026 guidance at 28.050-28.550 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Ulta Beauty Inc. will post 28.49 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Key Headlines Impacting Ulta Beauty

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

• Positive Sentiment: Ulta launched an exclusive Supergirl collaboration tied to DC Studios’ upcoming film, featuring themed product collections, immersive store activations, and a digital buying guide. The move could boost customer engagement and summer sales momentum. Ulta Beauty (ULTA) Valuation Check As Supergirl Collaboration Expands Pop Culture Engagement
• Positive Sentiment: Several analysts highlighted Ulta’s strong earnings-surprise history and said the company appears positioned for another potential beat in its upcoming quarterly report, helped by loyalty, digital engagement, and exclusive launches. Will Ulta (ULTA) Beat Estimates Again in Its Next Earnings Report?
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage ahead of first-quarter results pointed to expectations for sales growth, with investors watching whether Ulta’s loyalty program and exclusive beauty launches can continue driving demand. Ulta Beauty Set to Release Q1 Earnings: Key Insights for Investors
• Neutral Sentiment: Ulta Beauty World 2026 showcased nine brand activations from major names like Cécred, Tatcha, OSEA, and Olaplex, reinforcing the company’s strength as a beauty destination but not signaling an immediate financial catalyst. Pop Up Mob Brings Nine Beauty Brand Worlds to Life at Ulta Beauty World 2026 in Orlando
• Negative Sentiment: The stock had recently slipped in trading, and short-term weakness plus a pullback in sentiment suggest investors are still cautious heading into earnings. Ulta Beauty (ULTA) Stock Drops Despite Market Gains: Important Facts to Note

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently commented on the company. TD Cowen assumed coverage on Ulta Beauty in a research report on Monday, April 20th. They set a "buy" rating for the company. Telsey Advisory Group upped their price objective on Ulta Beauty from $640.00 to $715.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, March 9th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on Ulta Beauty from $750.00 to $700.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, March 13th. Guggenheim assumed coverage on Ulta Beauty in a research report on Monday, April 20th. They set a "buy" rating for the company. Finally, Evercore set a $725.00 price objective on Ulta Beauty in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have given a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $687.95.

Insider Buying and Selling

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