Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ:ULTA) Upgraded by StockNews.com to “Hold”

Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ:ULTA) was upgraded by StockNews.com from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report released on Wednesday.

ULTA has been the topic of a number of other reports. Barclays upped their target price on shares of Ulta Beauty from $328.00 to $335.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, August 30th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of Ulta Beauty from $325.00 to $300.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, August 30th. Loop Capital cut their price objective on shares of Ulta Beauty from $520.00 to $450.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, September 3rd. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price objective on Ulta Beauty from $475.00 to $385.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 30th. Finally, Oppenheimer dropped their target price on Ulta Beauty from $450.00 to $435.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, August 30th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating and thirteen have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $425.29.

Ulta Beauty Stock Performance

ULTA opened at $403.29 on Wednesday. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $368.23 and its 200 day simple moving average is $409.95. The firm has a market capitalization of $19.00 billion, a PE ratio of 15.73, a PEG ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 1.31. Ulta Beauty has a 52-week low of $318.17 and a 52-week high of $574.76.

Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ:ULTA) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 29th. The specialty retailer reported $5.30 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $5.47 by ($0.17). The company had revenue of $2.55 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.61 billion. Ulta Beauty had a net margin of 10.68% and a return on equity of 54.02%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up .9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $6.02 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Ulta Beauty will post 23.21 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Ulta Beauty

In other news, Director Catherine Ann Halligan sold 100 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $390.08, for a total value of $39,008.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 2,017 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $786,791.36. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other Ulta Beauty news, insider Jodi J. Caro sold 650 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $388.68, for a total value of $252,642.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 6,801 shares in the company, valued at $2,643,412.68. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Catherine Ann Halligan sold 100 shares of Ulta Beauty stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $390.08, for a total value of $39,008.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 2,017 shares in the company, valued at $786,791.36. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.39% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ulta Beauty

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ULTA. UMB Bank n.a. increased its position in Ulta Beauty by 83.3% in the 2nd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 66 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 30 shares during the period. Vima LLC bought a new position in Ulta Beauty during the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Riverview Trust Co bought a new position in Ulta Beauty during the 1st quarter worth $30,000. Sound Income Strategies LLC lifted its holdings in Ulta Beauty by 490.0% during the 1st quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 59 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 49 shares during the period. Finally, LRI Investments LLC bought a new stake in shares of Ulta Beauty in the 1st quarter valued at about $31,000. 90.39% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Ulta Beauty

Ulta Beauty, Inc operates as a specialty beauty retailer in the United States. The company offers branded and private label beauty products, including cosmetics, fragrance, haircare, skincare, bath and body products, professional hair products, and salon styling tools through its Ulta Beauty stores, shop-in-shops, Ulta.com website, and its mobile applications.