Handelsbanken Fonder AB Sells 6,381 Shares of Ulta Beauty Inc. $ULTA

Handelsbanken Fonder AB lessened its stake in shares of Ulta Beauty Inc. (NASDAQ:ULTA) by 17.5% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 30,117 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after selling 6,381 shares during the period. Handelsbanken Fonder AB owned 0.07% of Ulta Beauty worth $18,221,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Keybank National Association OH increased its holdings in shares of Ulta Beauty by 1.6% during the third quarter. Keybank National Association OH now owns 133,889 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $73,204,000 after acquiring an additional 2,121 shares in the last quarter. Rakuten Investment Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Ulta Beauty in the 3rd quarter worth $71,997,000. Bowen Hanes & Co. Inc. acquired a new stake in Ulta Beauty in the 3rd quarter valued at $6,012,000. Allianz Asset Management GmbH increased its stake in Ulta Beauty by 979.1% during the 3rd quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 74,201 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $40,569,000 after purchasing an additional 67,325 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cookson Peirce & Co. Inc. bought a new stake in Ulta Beauty during the 3rd quarter valued at $1,008,000. 90.39% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Guggenheim assumed coverage on shares of Ulta Beauty in a research note on Monday, April 20th. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. Raymond James Financial restated a “strong-buy” rating on shares of Ulta Beauty in a report on Tuesday, March 10th. Telsey Advisory Group raised their price target on shares of Ulta Beauty from $640.00 to $715.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, March 9th. Zacks Research downgraded Ulta Beauty from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Ulta Beauty in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have assigned a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Ulta Beauty has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $687.95.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director George R. Mrkonic, Jr. sold 452 shares of Ulta Beauty stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $539.29, for a total value of $243,759.08. Following the completion of the transaction, 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 Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.17% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Ulta Beauty Trading Up 2.4%

Ulta Beauty stock opened at $493.12 on Thursday. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $534.36 and its 200 day simple moving average is $586.31. Ulta Beauty Inc. has a 12 month low of $402.50 and a 12 month high of $714.97. The company has a market cap of $21.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.24, a PEG ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 0.89.

Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ:ULTA) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 12th. The specialty retailer reported $8.01 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $7.93 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $3.90 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.81 billion. Ulta Beauty had a return on equity of 43.56% and a net margin of 9.31%.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, equities research analysts forecast that Ulta Beauty Inc. will post 28.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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.