Lakewood Asset Management LLC Lowers Position in Ulta Beauty Inc. $ULTA

Key Points

• Lakewood Asset Management cut its Ulta stake by 76.5% in Q4, selling 2,995 shares and leaving 921 shares valued at about $557,000, indicating notable institutional selling.
• Analysts hold a Moderate Buy consensus with an average price target of $674.23, although individual targets and ratings have been mixed (Oppenheimer cut to $650, Bank of America raised to $685, others range $650–$725).
• Ulta beat quarterly estimates with $8.01 EPS and $3.90B revenue (up 11.8% YoY), set FY2026 guidance of $28.05–$28.55 EPS, and trades at about a $24.2B market cap with a P/E near 21.6.

Lakewood Asset Management LLC lessened its position in Ulta Beauty Inc. (NASDAQ:ULTA - Free Report) by 76.5% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 921 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after selling 2,995 shares during the quarter. Lakewood Asset Management LLC's holdings in Ulta Beauty were worth $557,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in ULTA. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new position in Ulta Beauty during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Grey Fox Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Ulta Beauty during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Ulta Beauty during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $31,000. BOKF NA bought a new position in Ulta Beauty during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. increased its position in Ulta Beauty by 2,550.0% during the 4th quarter. Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. now owns 53 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 51 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.39% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on ULTA shares. Oppenheimer reduced their price objective on Ulta Beauty from $750.00 to $650.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, March 13th. Bank of America raised their price objective on Ulta Beauty from $610.00 to $685.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Argus raised their price objective on Ulta Beauty from $650.00 to $700.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, January 2nd. DA Davidson reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $650.00 price objective on shares of Ulta Beauty in a research report on Tuesday. 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, fifteen have given a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $674.23.

Key Stories Impacting Ulta Beauty

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

• Positive Sentiment: DA Davidson issued a Buy rating on ULTA, a catalyst that can lift demand for the stock by reinforcing conviction among institutional investors. Ulta Beauty NASDAQ: ULTA Earns Buy Rating from DA Davidson
• Positive Sentiment: Ulta Beauty World in Orlando drew ~3,000 attendees and generated millions in local economic activity — robust foot traffic and sold‑out programming underline demand for live experiences and strengthen the brand/omnichannel engagement story. Ulta Beauty World draws 3,000 attendees to Orlando, generates millions in economic impact
• Positive Sentiment: Extensive media coverage and positive recaps (video tours, day‑1 writeups) amplify brand visibility and may support near‑term traffic and sales expectations. Ulta Beauty World Expo at Orange County Convention Center | Day 1 recap
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst pieces weighing the pros and cons of owning ULTA advise caution: the company’s long‑term thesis (strong loyalty, salon services, beauty +) remains intact, but some recommend waiting for clearer evidence on margin/traffic sustainability. The Pros And Cons Of Investing In Ulta Beauty Now
• Neutral Sentiment: Some finance commentary frames ULTA as a defensive consumer play in geopolitical uncertainty — useful context but not a direct operational driver. Looking to Protect Your Portfolio from the Strait of Hormuz? Why Ulta Beauty Stock Could Be an Unlikely Buy.
• Negative Sentiment: A published fair‑value estimate was trimmed by roughly $10.88 to ~$673.50 as analysts updated models — a signal that some firms see near‑term execution or valuation risk even if the long‑run story remains intact. How The Ulta Beauty (ULTA) Investment Story Is Shifting As Analysts Rework Targets
• Negative Sentiment: A small fire involving an Ulta show booth at the convention center drew local coverage — likely a limited operational/PR issue but worth monitoring for any fallout or costs. Ulta Beauty show booth catches fire ahead of event at Orange County Convention Center

Insider Activity at Ulta Beauty

In other Ulta Beauty news, Director George R. Mrkonic, Jr. sold 452 shares of Ulta Beauty stock in a transaction on 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 of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,285,128.07. This trade represents a 15.94% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 0.17% of the company's stock.

Ulta Beauty Trading Up 2.6%

Ulta Beauty stock opened at $553.36 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $24.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.59, a PEG ratio of 1.98 and a beta of 0.95. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $598.12 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $587.41. Ulta Beauty Inc. has a 12 month low of $350.10 and a 12 month high of $714.97.

Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ:ULTA - Get Free Report) last posted its 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 analyst estimates of $3.81 billion. Ulta Beauty had a return on equity of 43.56% and a net margin of 9.31%.The company's quarterly revenue was up 11.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $8.46 EPS. Ulta Beauty has set its FY 2026 guidance at 28.050-28.550 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Ulta Beauty Inc. will post 23.96 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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