Ulta Beauty Inc. $ULTA Stock Purchased by International Assets Investment Management LLC

Key Points

• International Assets Investment Management dramatically increased its Ulta Beauty stake to 6.464 million shares, worth approximately $3.53 billion and representing 15.12% of the company. Institutional investors collectively own 90.39% of Ulta shares.
• Ulta reported quarterly earnings of $6.55 per share, beating estimates of $6.22, while revenue rose 8.9% year over year to $3.04 billion. The company guided to fiscal 2026 EPS of $28.70–$29.00.
• Analyst sentiment is broadly positive, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $631.30; however, the CEO and a director recently sold shares, and insiders own just 0.20% of the company.

International Assets Investment Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Ulta Beauty Inc. (NASDAQ:ULTA - Free Report) by 512,509.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 6,464,000 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 6,462,739 shares during the quarter. Ulta Beauty comprises approximately 26.6% of International Assets Investment Management LLC's portfolio, making the stock its biggest position. International Assets Investment Management LLC owned approximately 15.12% of Ulta Beauty worth $3,530,443,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of ULTA. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in Ulta Beauty during the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,815,712,000. State Street Corp raised its holdings in Ulta Beauty by 1.1% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 2,024,623 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $913,064,000 after buying an additional 22,036 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE raised its holdings in Ulta Beauty by 2.0% in the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 598,104 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $312,635,000 after buying an additional 11,591 shares during the last quarter. Amundi lifted its stake in shares of Ulta Beauty by 14.3% in the second quarter. Amundi now owns 544,686 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $245,642,000 after buying an additional 68,205 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Alyeska Investment Group L.P. lifted its stake in shares of Ulta Beauty by 14.0% in the second quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. now owns 538,961 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $243,061,000 after buying an additional 66,289 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.39% of the company's stock.

Ulta Beauty Stock Performance

ULTA opened at $640.43 on Friday. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $564.84 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $554.29. The stock has a market capitalization of $27.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.34, a P/E/G ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 0.84. Ulta Beauty Inc. has a 52-week low of $443.60 and a 52-week high of $714.97.

Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ:ULTA - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 27th. The specialty retailer reported $6.55 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $6.22 by $0.33. Ulta Beauty had a net margin of 9.34% and a return on equity of 45.40%. The firm had revenue of $3.04 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.99 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $5.78 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 8.9% on a year-over-year basis. Ulta Beauty has set its FY 2026 guidance at 28.700-29.000 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Ulta Beauty Inc. will post 28.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Ulta Beauty

In other Ulta Beauty news, Director Lorna Nagler sold 600 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Friday, September 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $537.31, for a total transaction of $322,386.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 7,168 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,851,438.08. The trade was a 7.72% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Kecia Steelman sold 2,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $545.88, for a total transaction of $1,091,760.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 40,489 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $22,102,135.32. This represents a 4.71% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Company insiders own 0.20% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently weighed in on ULTA. William Blair reissued a "market perform" rating on shares of Ulta Beauty in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Sanford C. Bernstein raised Ulta Beauty to an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 15th. UBS Group set a $631.00 target price on Ulta Beauty in a research note on Friday, August 28th. Royal Bank Of Canada upgraded Ulta Beauty to an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 15th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on Ulta Beauty from $670.00 to $730.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, October 23rd. Twenty-four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $631.30.

About Ulta Beauty

Ulta Beauty, Inc is a specialty beauty retailer that offers cosmetics, skincare, haircare, fragrance, bath and body products, beauty tools, and related accessories. Its assortment includes national and emerging brands, prestige and mass-market products, and Ulta Beauty's private-label merchandise. The company also provides salon services, including hair styling, haircuts, coloring, and treatments, along with brow and skin services in many of its locations.

Founded in 1990 as Ulta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance, the company operates primarily in the United States through a network of retail stores and digital channels, including its website and mobile application.

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