Man Group plc bought a new position in shares of Ulta Beauty Inc. (NASDAQ:ULTA - Free Report) during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 24,898 shares of the specialty retailer's stock, valued at approximately $11,228,000. Man Group plc owned 0.06% of Ulta Beauty as of its most recent SEC filing.
A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in ULTA. Optimize Financial Inc raised its stake in shares of Ulta Beauty by 1.4% in the fourth quarter. Optimize Financial Inc now owns 1,176 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $711,000 after purchasing an additional 16 shares during the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Ulta Beauty by 12.1% in the 1st quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 167 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $87,000 after buying an additional 18 shares during the last quarter. Roberts Glore & Co. Inc. IL grew its position in shares of Ulta Beauty by 5.3% during the 4th quarter. Roberts Glore & Co. Inc. IL now owns 394 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $238,000 after acquiring an additional 20 shares during the period. Allworth Financial LP grew its holdings in Ulta Beauty by 3.9% during the fourth quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 555 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $336,000 after purchasing an additional 21 shares during the period. Finally, Wedbush Securities Inc. grew its stake in shares of Ulta Beauty by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. now owns 6,455 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $3,905,000 after acquiring an additional 21 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.39% of the company's stock.
Insider Transactions at Ulta Beauty
In other Ulta Beauty news, Director George R. Mrkonic, Jr. sold 383 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $475.84, for a total transaction of $182,246.72. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 2,404 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,143,919.36. This trade represents a 13.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 0.20% of the company's stock.
Ulta Beauty Trading Down 4.2%
Shares of NASDAQ ULTA opened at $517.50 on Friday. Ulta Beauty Inc. has a 12 month low of $443.60 and a 12 month high of $714.97. The firm has a market capitalization of $22.25 billion, a PE ratio of 18.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 0.87. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $497.56 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $534.74.
Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ:ULTA - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 27th. The specialty retailer reported $6.55 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.22 by $0.33. The business had revenue of $3.04 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.99 billion. Ulta Beauty had a net margin of 9.34% and a return on equity of 45.28%. Ulta Beauty's quarterly revenue was up 8.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $5.78 earnings per share. Ulta Beauty has set its FY 2026 guidance at 28.700-29.000 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Ulta Beauty Inc. will post 28.77 earnings per share for the current year.
More Ulta Beauty News
Here are the key news stories impacting Ulta Beauty this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Quarterly results exceeded expectations. Ulta reported $6.55 in EPS versus the $6.20 consensus and revenue of approximately $3.04 billion, up 8.9% year over year and ahead of the $2.99 billion estimate. Comparable sales rose 3.8%, while digital sales, loyalty growth, new brands and stronger execution supported performance. Ulta Beauty Q2 Earnings Beat as Sales Rise, FY26 View Raised
- Positive Sentiment: Ulta raised its fiscal 2026 outlook and expanded capital returns. The company now expects EPS of $28.70–$29.00, up from $28.36–$28.80, and revenue of roughly $13.2–$13.3 billion. It also increased its planned share repurchases to $1.8 billion, which could provide support for per-share earnings. Ulta Beauty Targets Sales Growth and Buybacks
- Neutral Sentiment: Analysts remain broadly constructive, but estimates are mixed. DA Davidson raised its price target to $625 and maintained a Buy rating, while Bank of America lowered its target to $650 but also kept a Buy rating. The conflicting revisions suggest confidence in Ulta’s long-term share gains, alongside caution about valuation and execution risks.
- Negative Sentiment: The market reaction reflects concerns about forward momentum. Management indicated that third-quarter comparable-sales comparisons may be weaker than fourth-quarter comparisons, increasing the risk of a temporary slowdown. Investors are also focused on Target’s rollout of its own Beauty Studio in more than 600 stores, including five former Ulta locations in South Carolina, potentially intensifying competition for prestige beauty customers. Ulta is responding by emphasizing exclusive products and brand differentiation. Ulta Leans Into Exclusivity Amid Target Competition
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
Several research analysts recently commented on ULTA shares. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on shares of Ulta Beauty from $648.00 to $667.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on shares of Ulta Beauty from $475.00 to $450.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Barclays reduced their target price on Ulta Beauty from $647.00 to $645.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday. Argus set a $550.00 price target on shares of Ulta Beauty in a research note on Thursday, June 18th. Finally, B. Riley Financial decreased their price objective on Ulta Beauty from $600.00 to $500.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have given a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Ulta Beauty has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $626.59.
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About Ulta Beauty
(
Free Report)
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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