National Pension Service Buys 76,631 Shares of Ulta Beauty Inc. $ULTA

Key Points

• National Pension Service massively increased its Ulta Beauty position in the fourth quarter, boosting its stake by 2,704% to 79,465 shares worth about $48.1 million.
• Ulta is seeing continued institutional interest, with several other hedge funds also adding to or initiating positions, and 90.39% of the stock is now held by institutional investors.
• Despite some recent share-price weakness, analysts remain generally positive as Ulta continues to lean on loyalty, digital engagement, and exclusive product launches ahead of earnings.

National Pension Service lifted its stake in shares of Ulta Beauty Inc. (NASDAQ:ULTA - Free Report) by 2,704.0% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 79,465 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 76,631 shares during the period. National Pension Service owned approximately 0.18% of Ulta Beauty worth $48,077,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Bowen Hanes & Co. Inc. bought a new position in shares of Ulta Beauty during the 3rd quarter valued at about $6,012,000. Intech Investment Management LLC increased its position in shares of Ulta Beauty by 135.6% during the 3rd quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 6,506 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $3,557,000 after purchasing an additional 3,744 shares during the last quarter. Cookson Peirce & Co. Inc. bought a new position in shares of Ulta Beauty during the 3rd quarter valued at about $1,008,000. Allianz Asset Management GmbH increased its position in shares of Ulta Beauty by 979.1% during the 3rd quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 74,201 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $40,569,000 after purchasing an additional 67,325 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Candriam S.C.A. increased its position in shares of Ulta Beauty by 24.7% during the 3rd quarter. Candriam S.C.A. now owns 30,849 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $16,867,000 after purchasing an additional 6,118 shares during the last quarter. 90.39% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Ulta Beauty News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Ulta launched an exclusive Supergirl collaboration tied to DC Studios’ upcoming film, featuring themed product collections, immersive store activations, and a digital buying guide. The move could boost customer engagement and summer sales momentum. Ulta Beauty (ULTA) Valuation Check As Supergirl Collaboration Expands Pop Culture Engagement
• Positive Sentiment: Several analysts highlighted Ulta’s strong earnings-surprise history and said the company appears positioned for another potential beat in its upcoming quarterly report, helped by loyalty, digital engagement, and exclusive launches. Will Ulta (ULTA) Beat Estimates Again in Its Next Earnings Report?
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage ahead of first-quarter results pointed to expectations for sales growth, with investors watching whether Ulta’s loyalty program and exclusive beauty launches can continue driving demand. Ulta Beauty Set to Release Q1 Earnings: Key Insights for Investors
• Neutral Sentiment: Ulta Beauty World 2026 showcased nine brand activations from major names like Cécred, Tatcha, OSEA, and Olaplex, reinforcing the company’s strength as a beauty destination but not signaling an immediate financial catalyst. Pop Up Mob Brings Nine Beauty Brand Worlds to Life at Ulta Beauty World 2026 in Orlando
• Negative Sentiment: The stock had recently slipped in trading, and short-term weakness plus a pullback in sentiment suggest investors are still cautious heading into earnings. Ulta Beauty (ULTA) Stock Drops Despite Market Gains: Important Facts to Note

Ulta Beauty Price Performance

ULTA opened at $508.85 on Monday. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $525.68 and its 200 day simple moving average is $586.07. Ulta Beauty Inc. has a 1 year low of $414.21 and a 1 year high of $714.97. The firm has a market cap of $22.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.85, a PEG ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 0.86.

Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ:ULTA - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 12th. The specialty retailer reported $8.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $7.93 by $0.08. Ulta Beauty had a return on equity of 43.56% and a net margin of 9.31%.The business had revenue of $3.90 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.81 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $8.46 EPS. Ulta Beauty's revenue for the quarter was up 11.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Ulta Beauty has set its FY 2026 guidance at 28.050-28.550 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Ulta Beauty Inc. will post 28.49 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Ulta Beauty

In related news, Director George R. Mrkonic, Jr. sold 452 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $539.29, for a total transaction of $243,759.08. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 2,383 shares in the company, valued at $1,285,128.07. This trade represents a 15.94% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.39% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

ULTA has been the topic of several recent research reports. William Blair reiterated a "market perform" rating on shares of Ulta Beauty in a research report on Monday, March 9th. Zacks Research lowered Ulta Beauty from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Wedbush initiated coverage on Ulta Beauty in a research report on Monday, April 20th. They set an "outperform" rating on the stock. Oppenheimer reduced their price objective on Ulta Beauty from $750.00 to $650.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, March 13th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group increased their price objective on Ulta Beauty from $640.00 to $715.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, March 9th. 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 issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $687.95.

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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