Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund Grows Stock Holdings in Ulta Beauty Inc. $ULTA

Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund lifted its stake in shares of Ulta Beauty Inc. (NASDAQ:ULTA) by 452.3% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 9,787 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 8,015 shares during the quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund’s holdings in Ulta Beauty were worth $5,116,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in ULTA. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Ulta Beauty during the 4th quarter worth $430,963,000. Atria Investments Inc grew its holdings in shares of Ulta Beauty by 42.7% in the fourth 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 period. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. grew its holdings in shares of Ulta Beauty by 27.6% in the fourth quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 271,671 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $164,364,000 after purchasing an additional 58,719 shares during the period. Andrew Hill Investment Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Ulta Beauty during the fourth quarter worth about $1,903,000. Finally, Janney Montgomery Scott LLC increased 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 last quarter. 90.39% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

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

Ulta Beauty Price Performance

Shares of ULTA stock opened at $508.09 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $21.84 billion, a PE ratio of 19.05, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a 50-day moving average of $477.28 and a two-hundred day moving average of $554.98. Ulta Beauty Inc. has a 1-year low of $443.60 and a 1-year high of $714.97.

Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ:ULTA) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, June 2nd. The specialty retailer reported $7.74 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 for the quarter was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $6.70 earnings per share. Ulta Beauty has set its FY 2026 guidance at 28.360-28.800 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Ulta Beauty Inc. will post 28.77 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Trending Headlines about Ulta Beauty

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

• Positive Sentiment: BofA reiterated its Buy rating and said Ulta could recapture approximately $650 million in gross merchandise value following the end of its Target partnership. The analyst believes the opportunity could support future revenue and EBIT growth as Ulta redirects customers and sales through its own stores and channels. Ulta Beauty Could Turn Target Partnership Exit into a Revenue Growth Opportunity
• Positive Sentiment: Recent partnerships are reinforcing Ulta’s growth narrative. A collaboration with Pacsun combines fashion and beauty merchandising, while intimate-wellness brand plusOne launched at Ulta. These initiatives could increase traffic, broaden product offerings and drive incremental basket growth. Pacsun and Ulta Beauty Collaboration
• Positive Sentiment: Strong first-quarter execution continues to support investor confidence. Ulta recently reported 11.1% revenue growth to about $3.2 billion, 5.3% comparable-sales growth and a 15.5% increase in diluted EPS to $7.74. Management raised fiscal 2026 EPS guidance to $28.36–$28.80 while maintaining its 6%–7% sales-growth outlook.
• Neutral Sentiment: Value and momentum screens, including Zacks’ commentary, identify ULTA as attractively valued relative to its earnings and growth profile. However, these are quantitative assessments rather than new company-specific catalysts. Why Ulta Beauty Is a Strong Value Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Recent insider activity showed sales rather than purchases, although the disclosed transactions were limited and do not necessarily indicate a change in Ulta’s operating outlook.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. Piper Sandler decreased their target price on shares of Ulta Beauty from $725.00 to $600.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of Ulta Beauty in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. B. Riley Financial reduced their price target on shares of Ulta Beauty from $600.00 to $500.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded Ulta Beauty from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price objective for the company from $635.00 to $700.00 in a report on Monday, April 20th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group lowered their price objective on Ulta Beauty from $799.00 to $731.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. One equities research 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 issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Ulta Beauty presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $638.09.

Ulta Beauty 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.