Jefferies Financial Group Inc. Makes New Investment in Ulta Beauty Inc. $ULTA

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. acquired a new stake in Ulta Beauty Inc. (NASDAQ:ULTA) in the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 1,857 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $838,000.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of ULTA. Fideuram Asset Management Ireland dac purchased a new position in Ulta Beauty in the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC increased its holdings in Ulta Beauty by 860.0% during the 1st quarter. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC now owns 48 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares during the last quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC raised its position in shares of Ulta Beauty by 4,200.0% in the 4th quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 43 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 42 shares in the last quarter. Clearstead Trust LLC acquired a new position in shares of Ulta Beauty in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Finally, Ascentis Independent Advisors purchased a new position in shares of Ulta Beauty during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $29,000. 90.39% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Citigroup raised their price target on shares of Ulta Beauty from $560.00 to $580.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price target on shares of Ulta Beauty from $692.00 to $695.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 25th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Ulta Beauty from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $650.00 price objective on shares of Ulta Beauty in a report on Friday. Finally, Evercore set a $635.00 target price on shares of Ulta Beauty in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have issued a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $626.59.

Insider Buying and Selling at Ulta Beauty

In other Ulta Beauty news, Director George R. Mrkonic, Jr. sold 383 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $475.84, for a total transaction of $182,246.72. Following the sale, the director directly owned 2,404 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,143,919.36. This represents 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 at the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.20% of the company’s stock.

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

Ulta Beauty Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ ULTA opened at $517.50 on Monday. Ulta Beauty Inc. has a twelve month low of $443.60 and a twelve month high of $714.97. The company has a market capitalization of $22.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 0.87. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $497.56 and a 200-day simple moving average of $533.60.

Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ:ULTA) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 27th. The specialty retailer reported $6.55 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.22 by $0.33. Ulta Beauty had a return on equity of 45.40% and a net margin of 9.34%.The firm had revenue of $3.04 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.99 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $5.78 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter 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, equities analysts predict that Ulta Beauty Inc. will post 28.9 earnings per share for the current year.

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.