Sheets Smith Wealth Management Sells 1,161 Shares of Ulta Beauty Inc. $ULTA

Sheets Smith Wealth Management lowered its holdings in Ulta Beauty Inc. (NASDAQ:ULTA) by 8.4% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 12,694 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after selling 1,161 shares during the quarter. Sheets Smith Wealth Management’s holdings in Ulta Beauty were worth $5,725,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new stake in Ulta Beauty in the second quarter worth $1,815,712,000. State Street Corp increased its position in Ulta Beauty by 2.5% during the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 2,025,565 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $1,225,487,000 after purchasing an additional 50,305 shares during the period. Diamant Asset Management Inc. increased its position in Ulta Beauty by 52,171.0% during the 1st quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 1,474,042 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $77,050,000 after purchasing an additional 1,471,222 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Ulta Beauty by 1.8% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,240,210 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $747,587,000 after purchasing an additional 21,947 shares in the last quarter. Finally, T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in Ulta Beauty by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. now owns 974,223 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $589,415,000 after purchasing an additional 2,463 shares in the last quarter. 90.39% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Ulta Beauty News Summary

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

Ulta Beauty Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ ULTA opened at $517.50 on Friday. Ulta Beauty Inc. has a 1 year low of $443.60 and a 1 year high of $714.97. The stock has a market cap of $22.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 0.87. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $497.56 and a 200 day moving average of $534.74.

Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ:ULTA) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 27th. The specialty retailer reported $6.55 earnings per share 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 45.28%. The business had revenue of $3.04 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.99 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $5.78 earnings per share. The business’s 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 expect that Ulta Beauty Inc. will post 28.9 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on ULTA. Robert W. Baird cut their target price on shares of Ulta Beauty from $730.00 to $700.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Ulta Beauty in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. Barclays lowered their price objective on shares of Ulta Beauty from $647.00 to $645.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed a “strong-buy” rating and set a $700.00 price objective on shares of Ulta Beauty in a research report on Friday. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered Ulta Beauty from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. One investment 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 stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $626.59.

Insider Buying and Selling at Ulta Beauty

In related news, Director George R. Mrkonic, Jr. sold 383 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $475.84, for a total transaction of $182,246.72. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 2,404 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,143,919.36. This trade represents a 13.74% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.20% of the stock is owned by insiders.

About Ulta Beauty

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.