Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ:ULTA) Reaches New 12-Month High – What’s Next?

Ulta Beauty Inc. (NASDAQ:ULTA) hit a new 52-week high during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $702.95 and last traded at $704.4710, with a volume of 333361 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $683.40.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

ULTA has been the subject of several analyst reports. DA Davidson lifted their price target on shares of Ulta Beauty from $625.00 to $650.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, December 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on Ulta Beauty from $600.00 to $606.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, December 1st. B. Riley Financial reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Ulta Beauty in a research report on Monday, December 8th. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on Ulta Beauty in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $700.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Oppenheimer upped their target price on Ulta Beauty from $675.00 to $750.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $626.44.

Ulta Beauty Price Performance

The stock has a market cap of $30.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.56, a PEG ratio of 3.22 and a beta of 0.85. The company has a fifty day moving average of $648.17 and a 200 day moving average of $571.23.

Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ:ULTA) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, December 4th. The specialty retailer reported $5.14 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.61 by $0.53. Ulta Beauty had a return on equity of 46.33% and a net margin of 9.93%.The business had revenue of $2.86 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.70 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $5.14 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.9% on a year-over-year basis. Ulta Beauty has set its FY 2025 guidance at 25.200-25.500 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Ulta Beauty Inc. will post 23.96 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ulta Beauty

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of ULTA. Optimize Financial Inc grew its stake in Ulta Beauty by 1.4% in the 4th quarter. Optimize Financial Inc now owns 1,176 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $711,000 after acquiring an additional 16 shares during the period. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB grew its holdings in shares of Ulta Beauty by 6.9% during the fourth quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 265 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $160,000 after purchasing an additional 17 shares during the last quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC increased its stake in Ulta Beauty by 13.1% in the 4th quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 147 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $98,000 after buying an additional 17 shares during the period. Legacy Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Ulta Beauty by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. Legacy Advisors LLC now owns 1,543 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $934,000 after buying an additional 18 shares during the period. Finally, State of Wyoming lifted its stake in shares of Ulta Beauty by 10.5% in the third quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 211 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $115,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares during the period. 90.39% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.