Hsbc Holdings PLC Invests $95.45 Million in Ulta Beauty Inc. $ULTA

Key Points

• HSBC Holdings acquired 211,826 Ulta Beauty shares worth approximately $95.45 million, giving it a 0.49% stake. Institutional investors collectively own 90.39% of the retailer.
• Ulta’s latest quarterly results exceeded expectations, with EPS of $7.74 versus the $6.89 consensus and revenue of $3.16 billion, up 11.1% year over year. The company issued fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $28.36–$28.80.
• Analysts maintain a broadly positive outlook, with a “Moderate Buy” consensus and average price target of $636.41, although several firms recently lowered their targets and Target’s expanding prestige-beauty business presents a competitive risk.

Hsbc Holdings PLC acquired a new position in Ulta Beauty Inc. (NASDAQ:ULTA - Free Report) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm acquired 211,826 shares of the specialty retailer's stock, valued at approximately $95,448,000. Hsbc Holdings PLC owned 0.49% of Ulta Beauty as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Fideuram Asset Management Ireland dac acquired a new position in Ulta Beauty during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Ulta Beauty by 860.0% in the first quarter. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC now owns 48 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares during the period. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC increased its stake in shares of Ulta Beauty by 4,200.0% in the fourth quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 43 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 42 shares during the period. Clearstead Trust LLC bought a new stake in shares of Ulta Beauty during the second quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Finally, Ascentis Independent Advisors bought a new stake in shares of Ulta Beauty during the first quarter valued at approximately $29,000. 90.39% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Ulta Beauty

In other Ulta Beauty 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 transaction of $182,246.72. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 2,404 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,143,919.36. This represents a 13.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.20% of the company's stock.

Ulta Beauty Stock Up 1.1%

Shares of NASDAQ ULTA opened at $543.19 on Thursday. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $494.65 and its 200 day simple moving average is $535.92. The stock has a market capitalization of $23.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.37, a PEG ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 0.87. Ulta Beauty Inc. has a 52-week low of $443.60 and a 52-week high of $714.97.

Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ:ULTA - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, June 2nd. The specialty retailer reported $7.74 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.12 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $6.70 earnings per share. Ulta Beauty's revenue 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. As a group, analysts anticipate that Ulta Beauty Inc. will post 28.76 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ULTA has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Robert W. Baird decreased their price target on Ulta Beauty from $730.00 to $700.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. TD Cowen reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Ulta Beauty in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on shares of Ulta Beauty from $700.00 to $630.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on Ulta Beauty from $475.00 to $450.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group cut their price objective on Ulta Beauty from $799.00 to $731.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have given a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $636.41.

Key Headlines Impacting Ulta Beauty

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

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.

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