Prescott Group Capital Management L.L.C. Makes New Investment in Ulta Beauty Inc. $ULTA

Key Points

• Prescott Group Capital Management opened a new position in Ulta Beauty in the fourth quarter, buying 3,000 shares worth about $1.815 million.
• Institutional interest in Ulta remains high, with hedge funds and other investors owning 90.39% of the stock. Meanwhile, director George R. Mrkonic Jr. sold 452 shares in an insider transaction.
• Analysts still generally view Ulta favorably, with an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $687.95, even as one analyst recently downgraded the stock to hold.

Prescott Group Capital Management L.L.C. acquired a new position in shares of Ulta Beauty Inc. (NASDAQ:ULTA - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 3,000 shares of the specialty retailer's stock, valued at approximately $1,815,000.

Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Sierra Summit Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Ulta Beauty during the fourth quarter worth about $984,000. Leonteq Securities AG purchased a new position in shares of Ulta Beauty during the fourth quarter worth about $66,000. ABN Amro Investment Solutions purchased a new position in shares of Ulta Beauty during the fourth quarter worth about $1,200,000. Rathbones Group PLC grew its holdings in shares of Ulta Beauty by 6.2% during the fourth quarter. Rathbones Group PLC now owns 103,204 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $62,439,000 after purchasing an additional 5,990 shares during the last quarter. Finally, IFP Advisors Inc grew its holdings in shares of Ulta Beauty by 26.0% during the fourth quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 940 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $569,000 after purchasing an additional 194 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.39% of the company's stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Ulta Beauty news, Director George R. Mrkonic, Jr. sold 452 shares of Ulta Beauty stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the director owned 2,383 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,285,128.07. The trade was a 15.94% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.17% of the company's stock.

Ulta Beauty News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Shares rose after the stock outperformed the broader market in the latest session, reinforcing short-term momentum for Ulta Beauty. Ulta Beauty (ULTA) Rises Higher Than Market: Key Facts
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts continue to view Ulta Beauty favorably, with the consensus rating around “Moderate Buy,” which can support investor confidence in the stock. Ulta Beauty Inc. NASDAQ: ULTA Given Average Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by Analysts
• Neutral Sentiment: Ulta announced it will report first-quarter fiscal 2026 results and participate in an investor conference, keeping attention on upcoming earnings and management commentary. Ulta Beauty to Report First Quarter Fiscal 2026 Results and Participate in an Upcoming Investor Conference
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader beauty-sector coverage highlighted AI, wellness, and innovation trends, but the article focused on peers rather than directly on Ulta. 3 Cosmetics Stocks Gaining From AI, Wellness and Innovation Trends
• Negative Sentiment: A consumer article about coupons at Ulta may underscore ongoing price sensitivity among shoppers, which could pressure margins if discounting becomes more important. How to coupon at Ulta Beauty and never pay full price for makeup again

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Zacks Research lowered Ulta Beauty from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. Telsey Advisory Group increased their target price on shares of Ulta Beauty from $640.00 to $715.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, March 9th. Guggenheim assumed coverage on Ulta Beauty in a report on Monday, April 20th. They set a "buy" rating on the stock. Raymond James Financial reissued a "strong-buy" rating on shares of Ulta Beauty in a report on Tuesday, March 10th. Finally, DA Davidson reissued a "buy" rating and set a $650.00 price target on shares of Ulta Beauty in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have given a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $687.95.

Ulta Beauty Stock Up 2.4%

NASDAQ ULTA opened at $493.12 on Thursday. Ulta Beauty Inc. has a 52-week low of $402.50 and a 52-week high of $714.97. The business's 50-day moving average price is $534.36 and its 200 day moving average price is $586.31. The firm has a market cap of $21.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.24, a P/E/G ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 0.89.

Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ:ULTA - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 12th. The specialty retailer reported $8.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $7.93 by $0.08. Ulta Beauty had a return on equity of 43.56% and a net margin of 9.31%.The firm had revenue of $3.90 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.81 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $8.46 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 11.8% on a year-over-year basis. Ulta Beauty has set its FY 2026 guidance at 28.050-28.550 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Ulta Beauty Inc. will post 28.47 earnings per share for the current 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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