Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ:ULTA) Hits New 52-Week High – Still a Buy?

Ulta Beauty Inc. (NASDAQ:ULTA)’s stock price hit a new 52-week high on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $675.95 and last traded at $676.44, with a volume of 190302 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $663.48.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on ULTA shares. B. Riley reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Ulta Beauty in a research note on Monday, December 8th. Argus raised their price objective on shares of Ulta Beauty from $650.00 to $700.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 2nd. Piper Sandler set a $615.00 target price on shares of Ulta Beauty in a report on Friday, December 5th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $732.00 price target on Ulta Beauty in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Ulta Beauty from $600.00 to $606.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, December 1st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Ulta Beauty currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $610.64.

Ulta Beauty Stock Up 1.8%

The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $586.82 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $543.17. The company has a market capitalization of $29.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.45 and a beta of 0.85.

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ulta Beauty

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC increased its stake in Ulta Beauty by 107.7% during the 2nd quarter. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 54 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 28 shares in the last quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new position in Ulta Beauty in the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Hemington Wealth Management boosted its holdings in shares of Ulta Beauty by 142.9% in the second quarter. Hemington Wealth Management now owns 68 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 40 shares during the period. Grey Fox Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Ulta Beauty during the third quarter worth $31,000. Finally, Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Ulta Beauty during the third quarter worth $31,000. Institutional investors own 90.39% 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.