United Capital Financial Advisors LLC Takes $1.30 Million Position in Ulta Beauty Inc. $ULTA

United Capital Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Ulta Beauty Inc. (NASDAQ:ULTA) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 2,878 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $1,298,000.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in Ulta Beauty in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $1,815,712,000. State Street Corp increased its position in shares of Ulta Beauty by 2.5% during the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 2,025,565 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $1,225,487,000 after acquiring an additional 50,305 shares during the period. Diamant Asset Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Ulta Beauty by 52,171.0% in the first quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 1,474,042 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $77,050,000 after acquiring an additional 1,471,222 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Ulta Beauty by 1.8% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,240,210 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $747,587,000 after acquiring an additional 21,947 shares in the last quarter. Finally, T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Ulta Beauty by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. now owns 974,223 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $589,415,000 after purchasing an additional 2,463 shares during the period. 90.39% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ulta Beauty Stock Performance

NASDAQ ULTA opened at $517.50 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $22.25 billion, a PE ratio of 18.86, a P/E/G ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 0.87. Ulta Beauty Inc. has a one year low of $443.60 and a one year high of $714.97. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $497.56 and its two-hundred day moving average is $534.74.

Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ:ULTA) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 27th. The specialty retailer reported $6.55 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.22 by $0.33. Ulta Beauty had a net margin of 9.34% and a return on equity of 45.28%. The business had revenue of $3.04 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.99 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $5.78 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 8.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Ulta Beauty has set its FY 2026 guidance at 28.700-29.000 EPS. Research analysts predict that Ulta Beauty Inc. will post 28.9 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on ULTA shares. Piper Sandler cut their price target on Ulta Beauty from $725.00 to $600.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on Ulta Beauty from $700.00 to $630.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. Weiss Ratings downgraded Ulta Beauty from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Raymond James Financial restated a “strong-buy” rating and set a $700.00 target price on shares of Ulta Beauty in a research note on Friday. Finally, Citigroup increased their price objective on shares of Ulta Beauty from $560.00 to $580.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have assigned a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $626.59.

Ulta Beauty News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly results exceeded expectations. Ulta reported $6.55 in EPS versus the $6.20 consensus and revenue of approximately $3.04 billion, up 8.9% year over year and ahead of the $2.99 billion estimate. Comparable sales rose 3.8%, while digital sales, loyalty growth, new brands and stronger execution supported performance. Ulta Beauty Q2 Earnings Beat as Sales Rise, FY26 View Raised
• Positive Sentiment: Ulta raised its fiscal 2026 outlook and expanded capital returns. The company now expects EPS of $28.70–$29.00, up from $28.36–$28.80, and revenue of roughly $13.2–$13.3 billion. It also increased its planned share repurchases to $1.8 billion, which could provide support for per-share earnings. Ulta Beauty Targets Sales Growth and Buybacks
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts remain broadly constructive, but estimates are mixed. DA Davidson raised its price target to $625 and maintained a Buy rating, while Bank of America lowered its target to $650 but also kept a Buy rating. The conflicting revisions suggest confidence in Ulta’s long-term share gains, alongside caution about valuation and execution risks.
• Negative Sentiment: The market reaction reflects concerns about forward momentum. Management indicated that third-quarter comparable-sales comparisons may be weaker than fourth-quarter comparisons, increasing the risk of a temporary slowdown. Investors are also focused on Target’s rollout of its own Beauty Studio in more than 600 stores, including five former Ulta locations in South Carolina, potentially intensifying competition for prestige beauty customers. Ulta is responding by emphasizing exclusive products and brand differentiation. Ulta Leans Into Exclusivity Amid Target Competition

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Ulta Beauty news, Director George R. Mrkonic, Jr. sold 383 shares of Ulta Beauty stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $475.84, for a total value of $182,246.72. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 2,404 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,143,919.36. This trade represents a 13.74% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.20% of the company’s stock.

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.