Punch & Associates Investment Management Inc. Takes Position in Ulta Beauty Inc. $ULTA

Punch & Associates Investment Management Inc. 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 SEC. The institutional investor acquired 19,723 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $8,895,000.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Ulta Beauty during the 4th quarter worth approximately $430,963,000. Atria Investments Inc lifted its holdings in Ulta Beauty by 42.7% during the 4th quarter. Atria Investments Inc now owns 6,996 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $4,233,000 after purchasing an additional 2,093 shares during the last quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC boosted its position in Ulta Beauty by 97.3% during the first quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 35,739 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $18,681,000 after purchasing an additional 17,625 shares during the period. National Pension Service boosted its position in Ulta Beauty by 2,704.0% during the fourth quarter. National Pension Service now owns 79,465 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $48,077,000 after purchasing an additional 76,631 shares during the period. Finally, Oxbow Advisors LLC bought a new position in Ulta Beauty during the first quarter worth $3,024,000. Institutional investors own 90.39% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ULTA has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Piper Sandler dropped their price objective on shares of Ulta Beauty from $725.00 to $600.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their target price on shares of Ulta Beauty from $692.00 to $695.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday. William Blair restated a “market perform” rating on shares of Ulta Beauty in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Bank of America upgraded Ulta Beauty from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $685.00 price objective for the company in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on Ulta Beauty from $750.00 to $631.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have given a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $636.41.

Ulta Beauty Stock Performance

ULTA stock opened at $543.19 on Thursday. Ulta Beauty Inc. has a 52 week low of $443.60 and a 52 week high of $714.97. The company has a market capitalization of $23.35 billion, a PE ratio of 20.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 0.87. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $494.65 and its 200 day simple moving average is $535.92.

Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ:ULTA) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, June 2nd. The specialty retailer reported $7.74 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.89 by $0.85. The business had revenue of $3.16 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.12 billion. Ulta Beauty had a net margin of 9.36% and a return on equity of 44.77%. The business’s revenue was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $6.70 EPS. Ulta Beauty has set its FY 2026 guidance at 28.360-28.800 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Ulta Beauty Inc. will post 28.76 EPS for the current year.

Key Ulta Beauty News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Potential same-store sales beat: Deutsche Bank expects Ulta’s fiscal second-quarter comparable-sales growth to exceed market expectations. Strong traffic, demand for beauty products and resilient consumer spending could support revenue and earnings. Ulta Beauty Second-Quarter Same-Store Sales Poised for Beat
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street remains broadly optimistic: Analysts continue to show a favorable outlook for ULTA despite its weaker performance versus the broader market over the past year. The upbeat target-price commentary may help support investor confidence ahead of results. What Are Wall Street Analysts’ Target Price for Ulta Beauty Stock?
• Positive Sentiment: New brand partnership: Ulta is expanding its assortment through a nationwide U.S. agreement with Chinese beauty brand Proya, potentially adding product innovation and international growth to its sales mix. Proya Steps Up Overseas Expansion Through Agreement With Ulta Beauty
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings are the next major catalyst: Analysts are focused on comparable sales, margins, customer trends and updated guidance in Thursday’s fiscal second-quarter report. Ulta’s latest reported quarter already exceeded consensus EPS and revenue estimates, raising expectations for another solid performance. Ulta Beauty Q2 2026 Earnings Preview
• Negative Sentiment: Target is becoming a more direct competitor: Following its separation from Ulta, Target plans to introduce upscale beauty studios in stores and expand its selection to more than 90 prestige brands across over 600 locations. This could increase pressure on Ulta’s traffic, market share and brand exclusivity over time. Target Unveils New Beauty Spaces

Insider Buying and Selling at Ulta Beauty

In other news, Director George R. Mrkonic, Jr. sold 383 shares of Ulta Beauty stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $475.84, for a total value of $182,246.72. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 2,404 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,143,919.36. The trade was a 13.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 0.20% of the company’s stock.

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.