Empowered Funds LLC Invests $9.78 Million in Ulta Beauty Inc. $ULTA

Empowered Funds LLC purchased a new position in Ulta Beauty Inc. (NASDAQ:ULTA) during the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor purchased 21,677 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $9,776,000.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in Ulta Beauty during the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,815,712,000. Diamant Asset Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Ulta Beauty by 52,171.0% in the first quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 1,474,042 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $77,050,000 after acquiring an additional 1,471,222 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Ulta Beauty during the fourth quarter worth about $430,963,000. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new stake in shares of Ulta Beauty during the second quarter worth about $260,192,000. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new position in shares of Ulta Beauty during the second quarter valued at about $161,600,000. 90.39% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Ulta Beauty News

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 Trading Down 4.2%

ULTA opened at $517.50 on Friday. Ulta Beauty Inc. has a 12-month low of $443.60 and a 12-month high of $714.97. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $497.56 and a two-hundred day moving average of $534.74. The firm has a market capitalization of $22.25 billion, a PE ratio of 18.86, a P/E/G ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 0.87.

Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ:ULTA) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 27th. The specialty retailer reported $6.55 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.22 by $0.33. The business had revenue of $3.04 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.99 billion. Ulta Beauty had a net margin of 9.34% and a return on equity of 45.28%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $5.78 EPS. 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 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ULTA has been the subject of several research analyst reports. DA Davidson increased their price objective on shares of Ulta Beauty from $585.00 to $625.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on shares of Ulta Beauty from $648.00 to $667.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday. William Blair reaffirmed a “market perform” rating on shares of Ulta Beauty in a report on Friday, August 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 research note on Friday. Finally, Argus set a $550.00 price objective on shares of Ulta Beauty in a report on Thursday, June 18th. One equities research 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 stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $626.59.

Insider Buying and Selling

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

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.