Korea Investment CORP Buys 24,471 Shares of Ulta Beauty Inc. $ULTA

Key Points

• Korea Investment CORP boosted its stake in Ulta Beauty by 85% in Q3, buying 24,471 shares to hold 53,249 shares worth about $29.1 million (roughly 0.12% of ULTA).
• Analyst sentiment is broadly positive — the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy with a consensus price target of $633.12, and several firms (including UBS and Barclays) have recently raised price targets.
• Ulta opened at $642.22, trades in a 12‑month range of $309.01–$714.97 with a market cap of $28.49 billion, and institutional investors own about 90.39% of the company.

Korea Investment CORP boosted its position in shares of Ulta Beauty Inc. (NASDAQ:ULTA - Free Report) by 85.0% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 53,249 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 24,471 shares during the period. Korea Investment CORP owned approximately 0.12% of Ulta Beauty worth $29,114,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Ulta Beauty by 0.6% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 5,353,414 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $2,926,979,000 after purchasing an additional 33,674 shares in the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP lifted its position in Ulta Beauty by 9.4% in the second quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 654,598 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $306,234,000 after purchasing an additional 56,063 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its stake in Ulta Beauty by 5.4% during the second quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 582,635 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $272,568,000 after buying an additional 30,100 shares in the last quarter. Swedbank AB boosted its stake in Ulta Beauty by 6.7% during the third quarter. Swedbank AB now owns 581,506 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $317,938,000 after buying an additional 36,456 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank bought a new stake in Ulta Beauty in the 2nd quarter valued at $258,791,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.39% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ULTA has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. B. Riley Financial reaffirmed a "neutral" rating on shares of Ulta Beauty in a report on Monday, December 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of Ulta Beauty from $600.00 to $606.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, December 1st. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on shares of Ulta Beauty in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. They issued a "hold" rating and a $700.00 price target for the company. Barclays raised their price target on shares of Ulta Beauty from $680.00 to $712.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday. Finally, UBS Group upped their price objective on Ulta Beauty from $690.00 to $780.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $633.12.

Ulta Beauty Stock Down 0.6%

Shares of Ulta Beauty stock opened at $642.22 on Tuesday. Ulta Beauty Inc. has a 12-month low of $309.01 and a 12-month high of $714.97. The stock has a market capitalization of $28.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.01 and a beta of 0.82. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $665.13 and a 200 day simple moving average of $585.21.

Ulta Beauty News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley reaffirmed a Buy and kept a $750 price target, signaling confidence in near‑term outperformance and 2026 targets. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Telsey Advisory raised its price target to $715 and kept an Outperform rating, supporting upside expectations ahead of earnings. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Barclays lifted its target to $712 with an Overweight rating — another vote of confidence that suggests analyst buy‑side support. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Ulta is expanding exclusive brand partnerships (Hairstory into 300+ stores, NassifMD on UB Marketplace) and running the multi‑week "21 Days of Beauty" promotion — moves that can boost traffic, margins on exclusives and loyalty. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Ulta is on a crowded earnings calendar this week; investors will be parsing guidance, comp trends, loyalty metrics and any AI/tech‑driven commentary. This creates event risk but also upside if results beat. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street previews (Yahoo/Zacks) urge focus beyond headline revenue/EPS to metrics such as comp sales, average ticket, loyalty growth and gross margin mix — items that will drive the stock post‑earnings. Article Title Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: High‑profile media commentary (Jim Cramer) has increased attention ahead of the print; such coverage can amplify intraday moves but is not a direct indicator of fundamentals. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Wells Fargo moved its target up to $500 but kept an Underweight rating — the low target and bearish stance create downward pressure and give investors a reason to take profits or trim positions. Article Title

About Ulta Beauty

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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