Neuberger Berman Group LLC Sells 4,109 Shares of Ulta Beauty Inc. $ULTA

Key Points

• Neuberger Berman trimmed its Ulta position by 10.4% in Q3, selling 4,109 shares and finishing the period with 35,313 shares valued at about $19.3 million (≈0.08% of the company).
• Ulta beat estimates for the quarter, reporting $5.14 EPS (vs. $4.61 expected) and $2.86B in revenue (+12.9% YoY), while trading near $646 with a 52-week range of $309.01–$714.97.
• Analysts are generally positive but cautious: the consensus rating is "Moderate Buy" with an average target of $626.84, and near-term catalysts like the "21 Days of Beauty" sale could boost traffic even as heavy promotions risk pressuring margins.

Neuberger Berman Group LLC lowered its position in shares of Ulta Beauty Inc. (NASDAQ:ULTA - Free Report) by 10.4% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 35,313 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after selling 4,109 shares during the quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC owned 0.08% of Ulta Beauty worth $19,307,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in ULTA. State of Wyoming boosted its holdings in Ulta Beauty by 10.5% in the 3rd quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 211 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $115,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares during the period. Quadrant Capital Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of Ulta Beauty by 1.8% during the second quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 1,165 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $545,000 after purchasing an additional 21 shares during the period. Level Four Advisory Services LLC increased its holdings in shares of Ulta Beauty by 4.8% during the third quarter. Level Four Advisory Services LLC now owns 459 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $251,000 after purchasing an additional 21 shares during the period. Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. raised its position in shares of Ulta Beauty by 3.9% in the third quarter. Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. now owns 587 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $321,000 after buying an additional 22 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hardy Reed LLC raised its position in shares of Ulta Beauty by 3.0% in the third quarter. Hardy Reed LLC now owns 767 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $419,000 after buying an additional 22 shares in the last quarter. 90.39% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on ULTA. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on Ulta Beauty in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. They set a "hold" rating and a $700.00 price target on the stock. Evercore lifted their price objective on Ulta Beauty from $640.00 to $660.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, December 5th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $732.00 target price on Ulta Beauty in a report on Thursday, January 8th. B. Riley Financial reaffirmed a "neutral" rating on shares of Ulta Beauty in a research note on Monday, December 8th. Finally, Guggenheim reiterated a "neutral" rating on shares of Ulta Beauty in a research note on Friday, December 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Ulta Beauty has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $626.84.

Ulta Beauty Stock Performance

Shares of ULTA opened at $646.34 on Friday. Ulta Beauty Inc. has a 52-week low of $309.01 and a 52-week high of $714.97. The firm has a market cap of $28.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.78, a PEG ratio of 3.01 and a beta of 0.82. The business's fifty day moving average is $664.38 and its 200-day moving average is $583.88.

Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ:ULTA - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, December 4th. The specialty retailer reported $5.14 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.61 by $0.53. Ulta Beauty had a return on equity of 46.33% and a net margin of 9.93%.The business had revenue of $2.86 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.70 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $5.14 EPS. Ulta Beauty's revenue for the quarter was up 12.9% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts forecast that Ulta Beauty Inc. will post 23.96 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Trending Headlines about Ulta Beauty

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

• Positive Sentiment: Ulta kicked off its high-profile “21 Days of Beauty” event — a proven traffic and sales driver that can boost same‑store sales and basket size during the quarter. Ulta’s 21 Days of Beauty starts today Ulta’s biggest beauty sale is back. Don’t sleep on these deals.
• Positive Sentiment: Media show large, headline discounts (up to 50% on targeted brands) that could accelerate traffic and clearance of seasonal inventory — supportive for near-term revenue. Ulta slashed 50% off Bondi Boost’s HG line Ulta 21 days of beauty: Get up to 50% off top makeup, skincare + more
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst and preview coverage broadly expects Ulta to beat Q4 estimates — citing loyalty program strength, digital gains and brand launches — which supports a premium valuation thesis. Ulta Beauty (ULTA) Expected to Beat Earnings Estimates Ulta expected to beat — Zacks
• Neutral Sentiment: Consensus analyst ratings remain constructive (consensus “Moderate Buy”), which provides support but not new upside absent strong EPS/margin beats. Ulta receives consensus rating of Moderate Buy
• Positive Sentiment: Retail real estate activity continues: Ulta was signed for a mixed‑use development in SW Florida, signaling steady store expansion and omnichannel footprint growth. Zuckerman signs T.J. Maxx, Ulta Beauty at mixed-use development
• Negative Sentiment: Some previews warn of margin pressure from higher costs and promotional intensity — a risk that could offset revenue beats and temper EPS, which may be why the stock is trading lower. Ulta Q4 earnings on deck — margin pressure noted

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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