Man Group plc Invests $11.23 Million in Ulta Beauty Inc. $ULTA

Man Group plc purchased a new position in Ulta Beauty Inc. (NASDAQ:ULTA) during the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm purchased 24,898 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $11,228,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ULTA. Fideuram Asset Management Ireland dac purchased a new position in Ulta Beauty during the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC boosted its holdings in Ulta Beauty by 860.0% in the first quarter. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC now owns 48 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 43 shares in the last quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC grew its stake in shares of Ulta Beauty by 4,200.0% in the fourth quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 43 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 42 shares during the last quarter. Clearstead Trust LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Ulta Beauty in the second quarter worth $27,000. Finally, Ascentis Independent Advisors bought a new position in shares of Ulta Beauty during the first quarter valued at $29,000. Institutional investors own 90.39% of the company’s stock.

Ulta Beauty Price Performance

ULTA stock opened at $517.50 on Friday. Ulta Beauty Inc. has a 1-year low of $443.60 and a 1-year high of $714.97. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $497.56 and a 200-day moving average price of $534.74. The stock has a market capitalization of $22.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.86, a P/E/G ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 0.87.

Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ:ULTA) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 27th. The specialty retailer reported $6.55 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.22 by $0.33. Ulta Beauty had a return on equity of 45.28% and a net margin of 9.34%.The firm had revenue of $3.04 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.99 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $5.78 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 8.9% on a year-over-year basis. Ulta Beauty has set its FY 2026 guidance at 28.700-29.000 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Ulta Beauty Inc. will post 28.77 earnings per share for the current year.

Key Headlines Impacting Ulta Beauty

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on ULTA shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on Ulta Beauty from $750.00 to $631.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Robert W. Baird cut their price objective on shares of Ulta Beauty from $730.00 to $700.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. William Blair restated a “market perform” rating on shares of Ulta Beauty in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Canaccord Genuity Group decreased their target price on shares of Ulta Beauty from $799.00 to $731.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Finally, Raymond James Financial reiterated a “strong-buy” rating and issued a $700.00 target price on shares of Ulta Beauty in a research note on Friday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have given a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $626.59.

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.