Empowered Funds LLC Acquires New Position in Ulta Beauty Inc. $ULTA

Empowered Funds LLC bought a new position in Ulta Beauty Inc. (NASDAQ:ULTA) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 21,677 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $9,776,000. Empowered Funds LLC owned approximately 0.05% of Ulta Beauty at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Focus Partners Wealth lifted its stake in Ulta Beauty by 231.6% in the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 3,744 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $1,372,000 after purchasing an additional 2,615 shares in the last quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC increased its position in 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 purchasing an additional 1,574 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in Ulta Beauty in the second quarter worth $466,000. Jump Financial LLC purchased a new stake in Ulta Beauty during the second quarter valued at $1,196,000. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group Inc. raised its stake in Ulta Beauty by 0.9% during the second quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 7,475 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $3,497,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 90.39% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director George R. Mrkonic, Jr. sold 383 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the director owned 2,404 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,143,919.36. This trade represents a 13.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 0.20% of the company’s stock.

Ulta Beauty Stock Performance

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

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, beating 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 company had revenue of $3.04 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.99 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $5.78 EPS. The firm’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. As a group, analysts predict that Ulta Beauty Inc. will post 28.9 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on ULTA shares. B. Riley Financial reduced their target price on shares of Ulta Beauty from $600.00 to $500.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price objective on Ulta Beauty from $648.00 to $667.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday. Loop Capital restated a “hold” rating and set a $550.00 price objective on shares of Ulta Beauty in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Argus set a $550.00 price objective on Ulta Beauty in a research note on Thursday, June 18th. Finally, Evercore set a $635.00 target price on Ulta Beauty in a 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 issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $626.59.

Key Headlines Impacting Ulta Beauty

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 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.