Geode Capital Management LLC Acquires 21,947 Shares of Ulta Beauty Inc. $ULTA

Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in Ulta Beauty Inc. (NASDAQ:ULTA) by 1.8% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 1,240,210 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after buying an additional 21,947 shares during the quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Ulta Beauty were worth $747,587,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in ULTA. Focus Partners Wealth boosted its stake in shares of Ulta Beauty by 231.6% in the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 3,744 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $1,372,000 after acquiring an additional 2,615 shares during the period. Intech Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Ulta Beauty by 48.9% in the first quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 4,795 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $1,758,000 after acquiring an additional 1,574 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Ulta Beauty in the second quarter worth about $466,000. Jump Financial LLC bought a new position in shares of Ulta Beauty in the second quarter worth about $1,196,000. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Ulta Beauty by 0.9% in the second quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 7,475 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $3,497,000 after acquiring an additional 70 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 90.39% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ULTA has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group raised Ulta Beauty from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $635.00 to $700.00 in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Guggenheim assumed coverage on Ulta Beauty in a research note on Monday, April 20th. They issued a “buy” rating for the company. William Blair reissued a “market perform” rating on shares of Ulta Beauty in a research note on Monday, March 9th. Piper Sandler reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $725.00 price target (down from $775.00) on shares of Ulta Beauty in a research note on Friday, March 13th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group increased their price target on Ulta Beauty from $640.00 to $715.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, March 9th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have assigned a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $687.95.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director George R. Mrkonic, Jr. sold 452 shares of the firm’s 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 completion of the sale, the director directly owned 2,383 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,285,128.07. This trade represents a 15.94% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 0.17% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting Ulta Beauty

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

• Positive Sentiment: Ulta launched an exclusive Supergirl collaboration tied to DC Studios’ upcoming film, featuring themed product collections, immersive store activations, and a digital buying guide. The move could boost customer engagement and summer sales momentum. Ulta Beauty (ULTA) Valuation Check As Supergirl Collaboration Expands Pop Culture Engagement
• Positive Sentiment: Several analysts highlighted Ulta’s strong earnings-surprise history and said the company appears positioned for another potential beat in its upcoming quarterly report, helped by loyalty, digital engagement, and exclusive launches. Will Ulta (ULTA) Beat Estimates Again in Its Next Earnings Report?
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage ahead of first-quarter results pointed to expectations for sales growth, with investors watching whether Ulta’s loyalty program and exclusive beauty launches can continue driving demand. Ulta Beauty Set to Release Q1 Earnings: Key Insights for Investors
• Neutral Sentiment: Ulta Beauty World 2026 showcased nine brand activations from major names like Cécred, Tatcha, OSEA, and Olaplex, reinforcing the company’s strength as a beauty destination but not signaling an immediate financial catalyst. Pop Up Mob Brings Nine Beauty Brand Worlds to Life at Ulta Beauty World 2026 in Orlando
• Negative Sentiment: The stock had recently slipped in trading, and short-term weakness plus a pullback in sentiment suggest investors are still cautious heading into earnings. Ulta Beauty (ULTA) Stock Drops Despite Market Gains: Important Facts to Note

Ulta Beauty Trading Down 2.2%

Shares of Ulta Beauty stock opened at $508.85 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $525.68 and a 200 day moving average of $585.59. Ulta Beauty Inc. has a 12 month low of $414.21 and a 12 month high of $714.97. The firm has a market cap of $22.17 billion, a PE ratio of 19.85, a PEG ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 0.89.

Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ:ULTA) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 12th. The specialty retailer reported $8.01 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 company had revenue of $3.90 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.81 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $8.46 earnings per share. The firm’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, equities research analysts forecast that Ulta Beauty Inc. will post 28.49 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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.