Sheets Smith Wealth Management Cuts Holdings in Ulta Beauty Inc. $ULTA

Posted by Stanley Muller on Aug 30th, 2026

Sheets Smith Wealth Management decreased its holdings in Ulta Beauty Inc. (NASDAQ:ULTA – Free Report) by 8.4% in the second quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 12,694 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after selling 1,161 shares during the period. Sheets Smith Wealth Management’s holdings in Ulta Beauty were worth $5,725,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ULTA. Optimize Financial Inc boosted its holdings in Ulta Beauty by 1.4% in the fourth quarter. Optimize Financial Inc now owns 1,176 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $711,000 after purchasing an additional 16 shares during the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of Ulta Beauty by 12.1% in the 1st quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 167 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $87,000 after buying an additional 18 shares during the last quarter. Roberts Glore & Co. Inc. IL boosted its stake in shares of Ulta Beauty by 5.3% in the 4th quarter. Roberts Glore & Co. Inc. IL now owns 394 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $238,000 after buying an additional 20 shares during the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP grew its holdings in shares of Ulta Beauty by 3.9% in the fourth quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 555 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $336,000 after acquiring an additional 21 shares during the period. Finally, Wedbush Securities Inc. increased its position in Ulta Beauty by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. now owns 6,455 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $3,905,000 after acquiring an additional 21 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 90.39% of the company’s stock.

Ulta Beauty Trading Down 4.2%

Shares of NASDAQ:ULTA opened at $517.50 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $497.56 and a 200 day moving average of $534.74. The company has a market cap of $22.25 billion, a PE ratio of 18.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 0.87. Ulta Beauty Inc. has a 12-month low of $443.60 and a 12-month high of $714.97.

Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ:ULTA – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 27th. The specialty retailer reported $6.55 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.22 by $0.33. The business had revenue of $3.04 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.99 billion. Ulta Beauty had a net margin of 9.34% and a return on equity of 45.28%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $5.78 earnings per share. Ulta Beauty has set its FY 2026 guidance at 28.700-29.000 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Ulta Beauty Inc. will post 28.9 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Ulta Beauty

In related news, Director George R. Mrkonic, Jr. sold 383 shares of Ulta Beauty 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 transaction, the director owned 2,404 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,143,919.36. The trade was a 13.74% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 0.20% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Ulta Beauty News Summary

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have weighed in on ULTA shares. William Blair reissued a “market perform” rating on shares of Ulta Beauty in a report on Friday, August 21st. Bank of America reduced their price target on shares of Ulta Beauty from $685.00 to $650.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday. B. Riley Financial lowered their price objective on shares of Ulta Beauty from $600.00 to $500.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. Raymond James Financial reissued a “strong-buy” rating and issued a $700.00 price objective on shares of Ulta Beauty in a report on Friday. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $650.00 target price on shares of Ulta Beauty in a research report on Friday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have given a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Ulta Beauty currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $626.59.

Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on ULTA

Ulta Beauty Company Profile

(Free Report)

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.