Rathbones Group PLC Decreases Stock Holdings in Ulta Beauty Inc. $ULTA

Key Points

• Rathbones Group PLC reduced its stake in Ulta Beauty by 31.6% in Q3, selling 44,946 shares and retaining 97,214 shares (about 0.22% of the company) valued at roughly $53.15 million.
• Ulta beat Q3 estimates with $5.14 EPS (vs. $4.61 expected) and $2.86B in revenue (up 12.9% YoY); analysts hold a consensus Moderate Buy with an average target of $626.84 and several firms recently raising targets.
• The stock trades near $646 with a market cap of about $28.7B, a P/E of 24.8 and a 52‑week range of $309–$715, while institutional investors own roughly 90.4% of shares.

Rathbones Group PLC reduced its holdings in shares of Ulta Beauty Inc. (NASDAQ:ULTA - Free Report) by 31.6% during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 97,214 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after selling 44,946 shares during the quarter. Rathbones Group PLC owned approximately 0.22% of Ulta Beauty worth $53,152,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of ULTA. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC increased its position in shares of Ulta Beauty by 107.7% during the 2nd quarter. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 54 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 28 shares during the last quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Ulta Beauty in the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. Grey Fox Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Ulta Beauty in the 3rd quarter worth about $31,000. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Ulta Beauty during the third quarter valued at about $31,000. Finally, Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC bought a new position in Ulta Beauty during the second quarter valued at about $35,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.39% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have commented on the stock. Guggenheim reaffirmed a "neutral" rating on shares of Ulta Beauty in a research report on Friday, December 5th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Ulta Beauty from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Evercore raised their price target on shares of Ulta Beauty from $640.00 to $660.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, December 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Ulta Beauty from $600.00 to $606.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, December 1st. Finally, Barclays reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a $680.00 price objective on shares of Ulta Beauty in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $626.84.

Ulta Beauty Stock Performance

Shares of Ulta Beauty stock opened at $646.34 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $28.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.78, a P/E/G ratio of 3.01 and a beta of 0.82. Ulta Beauty Inc. has a 52-week low of $309.01 and a 52-week high of $714.97. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $664.38 and its 200 day simple moving average is $583.88.

Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ:ULTA - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, December 4th. The specialty retailer reported $5.14 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $4.61 by $0.53. Ulta Beauty had a net margin of 9.93% and a return on equity of 46.33%. The firm had revenue of $2.86 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.70 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $5.14 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 12.9% on a year-over-year basis. Equities 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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