Handelsbanken Fonder AB Trims Holdings in Ulta Beauty Inc. $ULTA

Handelsbanken Fonder AB trimmed its stake in shares of Ulta Beauty Inc. (NASDAQ:ULTA) by 17.5% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 30,117 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after selling 6,381 shares during the quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB’s holdings in Ulta Beauty were worth $18,221,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC boosted its stake in Ulta Beauty by 4,200.0% in the 4th quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 43 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 42 shares during the period. Grey Fox Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Ulta Beauty during the third quarter valued at about $31,000. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Ulta Beauty in the third quarter worth about $31,000. BOKF NA bought a new position in shares of Ulta Beauty in the third quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. boosted its position in shares of Ulta Beauty by 2,550.0% in the fourth quarter. Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. now owns 53 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 51 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.39% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

ULTA has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Barclays lowered shares of Ulta Beauty from an “overweight” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Monday, April 20th. Wells Fargo & Company raised shares of Ulta Beauty from a “strong sell” rating to an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, April 20th. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed a “strong-buy” rating on shares of Ulta Beauty in a report on Tuesday, March 10th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on Ulta Beauty from $750.00 to $700.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, March 13th. Finally, Oppenheimer dropped their price objective on Ulta Beauty from $750.00 to $650.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, March 13th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have given a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $687.95.

Ulta Beauty Price Performance

Shares of Ulta Beauty stock opened at $493.12 on Thursday. Ulta Beauty Inc. has a 1 year low of $402.50 and a 1 year high of $714.97. The firm has a market cap of $21.48 billion, a PE ratio of 19.24, a PEG ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 0.89. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $534.36 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $586.31.

Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ:ULTA) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 12th. The specialty retailer reported $8.01 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $7.93 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $3.90 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.81 billion. Ulta Beauty had a net margin of 9.31% and a return on equity of 43.56%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $8.46 EPS. Ulta Beauty has set its FY 2026 guidance at 28.050-28.550 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Ulta Beauty Inc. will post 28.47 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Ulta Beauty news, Director George R. Mrkonic, Jr. sold 452 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $539.29, for a total transaction of $243,759.08. Following the sale, the director owned 2,383 shares in the company, valued at $1,285,128.07. This trade represents a 15.94% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.17% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting Ulta Beauty

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

• Positive Sentiment: Shares rose after the stock outperformed the broader market in the latest session, reinforcing short-term momentum for Ulta Beauty. Ulta Beauty (ULTA) Rises Higher Than Market: Key Facts
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts continue to view Ulta Beauty favorably, with the consensus rating around “Moderate Buy,” which can support investor confidence in the stock. Ulta Beauty Inc. (NASDAQ:ULTA) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts
• Neutral Sentiment: Ulta announced it will report first-quarter fiscal 2026 results and participate in an investor conference, keeping attention on upcoming earnings and management commentary. Ulta Beauty to Report First Quarter Fiscal 2026 Results and Participate in an Upcoming Investor Conference
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader beauty-sector coverage highlighted AI, wellness, and innovation trends, but the article focused on peers rather than directly on Ulta. 3 Cosmetics Stocks Gaining From AI, Wellness and Innovation Trends
• Negative Sentiment: A consumer article about coupons at Ulta may underscore ongoing price sensitivity among shoppers, which could pressure margins if discounting becomes more important. How to coupon at Ulta Beauty and never pay full price for makeup again

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.