Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Sells 3,726 Shares of Ulta Beauty Inc. $ULTA

Key Points

• Thrivent Financial for Lutherans trimmed its Ulta Beauty stake by 2.4% in the fourth quarter, selling 3,726 shares and leaving it with 154,406 shares worth about $93.4 million.
• Ulta Beauty reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $8.01 and revenue of $3.90 billion, while revenue rose 11.8% year over year. The company also provided FY 2026 EPS guidance of 28.05 to 28.55.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive, with several firms raising targets or upgrading the stock and the consensus rating sitting at Moderate Buy with an average price target of $687.95.

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans lessened its holdings in Ulta Beauty Inc. (NASDAQ:ULTA - Free Report) by 2.4% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 154,406 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after selling 3,726 shares during the period. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans owned about 0.35% of Ulta Beauty worth $93,418,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC raised its holdings in shares of Ulta Beauty by 4,200.0% in the 4th quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 43 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 42 shares during the last quarter. Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Ulta Beauty by 2,550.0% in the 4th quarter. Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. now owns 53 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 51 shares during the last quarter. Grey Fox Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Ulta Beauty in the 3rd quarter worth about $31,000. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Ulta Beauty in the 3rd quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, BOKF NA acquired a new stake in shares of Ulta Beauty in the 3rd quarter worth about $31,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.39% of the company's stock.

Ulta Beauty Trading Down 0.8%

ULTA opened at $494.28 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $544.12 and a 200 day moving average of $586.42. The company has a market cap of $21.53 billion, a PE ratio of 19.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 0.89. Ulta Beauty Inc. has a 12 month low of $402.50 and a 12 month high of $714.97.

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

Insider Buying and Selling

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 shares were sold at an average price of $539.29, for a total value of $243,759.08. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 2,383 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,285,128.07. This trade represents a 15.94% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.17% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on ULTA shares. Canaccord Genuity Group upped their target price on shares of Ulta Beauty from $674.00 to $799.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 10th. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded shares of Ulta Beauty from a "strong sell" rating to an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Bank of America upgraded shares of Ulta Beauty from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $685.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th. William Blair reiterated a "market perform" rating on shares of Ulta Beauty in a research note on Monday, March 9th. Finally, Raymond James Financial reiterated a "strong-buy" rating on shares of Ulta Beauty in a research note on Tuesday, March 10th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have issued a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $687.95.

Ulta Beauty Company 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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