iA Global Asset Management Inc. Boosts Stock Position in Ulta Beauty Inc. $ULTA

Key Points

• iA Global Asset Management increased its Ulta Beauty stake by 232.2% in the fourth quarter, ending with 26,705 shares valued at about $16.2 million.
• Other institutional investors also added to or initiated positions, and 90.39% of Ulta Beauty is owned by hedge funds and other institutions.
• Analysts remain broadly positive on ULTA, with a Moderate Buy consensus and an average price target of $687.95, while the stock recently traded at $494.28 after the company beat quarterly earnings and revenue expectations.

iA Global Asset Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Ulta Beauty Inc. (NASDAQ:ULTA - Free Report) by 232.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 26,705 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 18,667 shares during the period. iA Global Asset Management Inc. owned 0.06% of Ulta Beauty worth $16,157,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of ULTA. Focus Partners Wealth boosted its holdings in shares of Ulta Beauty by 231.6% during the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 3,744 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $1,372,000 after purchasing an additional 2,615 shares during the period. Intech Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Ulta Beauty by 48.9% during the first quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 4,795 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $1,758,000 after purchasing an additional 1,574 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Ulta Beauty during the second quarter worth about $466,000. Jump Financial LLC purchased a new stake in Ulta Beauty in the second quarter worth about $1,196,000. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Ulta Beauty by 0.9% in the second quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 7,475 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $3,497,000 after buying an additional 70 shares during the period. 90.39% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Ulta Beauty

In other Ulta Beauty news, Director George R. Mrkonic, Jr. sold 452 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $539.29, for a total transaction of $243,759.08. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 2,383 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,285,128.07. This trade represents a 15.94% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.17% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have commented on ULTA. Canaccord Genuity Group raised their price objective on shares of Ulta Beauty from $674.00 to $799.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 10th. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded shares of Ulta Beauty from a "strong sell" rating to an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, April 20th. Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Ulta Beauty in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Guggenheim began coverage on shares of Ulta Beauty in a report on Monday, April 20th. They issued a "buy" rating for the company. Finally, Evercore set a $725.00 price objective on shares of Ulta Beauty in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. One research 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. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $687.95.

Ulta Beauty Price Performance

Shares of ULTA opened at $494.28 on Friday. Ulta Beauty Inc. has a one year low of $402.50 and a one year high of $714.97. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $544.12 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $586.42. The firm has a market capitalization of $21.53 billion, a PE ratio of 19.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 0.89.

Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ:ULTA - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, March 12th. The specialty retailer reported $8.01 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $7.93 by $0.08. Ulta Beauty had a net margin of 9.31% and a return on equity of 43.56%. The business had revenue of $3.90 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.81 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $8.46 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 11.8% on a year-over-year basis. Ulta Beauty has set its FY 2026 guidance at 28.050-28.550 EPS. Analysts expect that Ulta Beauty Inc. will post 28.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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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