# ULTA Stock vs the S&P 500: Returns, Risk and Crash History

> Ulta Beauty, Inc., consumer cyclical (market value $27.1 billion), an S&P 500 member: how it compared with the S&P 500, how it behaved in every crash since 2008, its risk‑adjusted returns and what analysts said. Returns to Oct 30, 2026; analyst data as of Nov 9, 2026.

Source: https://www.exent.ai/stocks/ulta · Reviewed by David, Senior Analyst, Exent · Published Nov 3, 2026 · Updated Nov 10, 2026

## Key takeaways

- ULTA returned +74.3% over the 5 years to Oct 30, 2026 versus +75.9% for the S&P 500: it lagged the index.
- Its 5-year Sharpe ratio was 0.40 against 0.58 for the S&P 500.
- Its deepest crisis drawdown was −57.4% in the covid crash (feb–mar 2020) (S&P 500: −34.1%).
- Five‑year volatility was 34.2% and beta 0.82.
- 26 analysts rated it in the past year; 72% of their latest calls were Buy.
- ULTA beat earnings estimates in 10 of its last 12 reports; the stock moved 8.5% on average, up or down, around each report.

## Did ULTA beat the S&P 500?

Over the 5 years to Oct 30, 2026, Ulta Beauty, Inc. (ULTA) returned **+74.3%** including dividends, versus **+75.9%** for the S&P 500 (SPY). It lagged the index by 1.6 percentage points, or +11.8% a year against +12.0%.

| Period | ULTA | S&P 500 | ULTA per year | S&P 500 per year | Result |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 year | +23.2% | +12.0% | +23.2% | +12.0% | Beat |
| 3 years | +68.0% | +87.4% | +18.9% | +23.3% | Lagged |
| 5 years | +74.3% | +75.9% | +11.8% | +12.0% | Lagged |
| 10 years | +163.2% | +316.3% | +10.2% | +15.3% | Lagged |

Total return with dividends reinvested, from month-end prices to Oct 30, 2026. Beating the index on raw return is only half the story: the next section adjusts for the risk taken. See also [how to beat the S&P 500](https://www.exent.ai/beat-the-market).

ULTA is in the [S&P 500](https://www.exent.ai/stocks/sp-500) (members as of Oct 20, 2026); the list shows every member’s return against the index.

## What Wall Street analysts say about ULTA

In the 12 months to 30 days ago, 26 analysts published 333 ratings on ULTA. Their latest calls were 72% Buy, 28% Hold and 0% Sell. 6 of them rank 4★ or higher in Exent’s analyst scoring, which is based on each analyst’s past price‑target hit rate and returns.

The consensus 12‑month price target was $630.27 (range $525.00–$731.00), −5.1% from the last price. Remember that the average analyst’s target is hit only about half the time: [how accurate are price targets?](https://www.exent.ai/resources/are-analyst-price-targets-accurate)

| Top‑ranked analyst covering | Firm | Stars | Price‑target hit rate |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Michael Lasser](https://www.exent.ai/analysts/michael-lasser) | [UBS](https://www.exent.ai/firms/ubs) | 5.0★ | 55.4% |
| Members only | Members only | 4.9★ | 65.2% |
| Members only | Members only | 4.8★ | 63.0% |
| Members only | Members only | 4.8★ | 55.2% |
| [Steven Forbes](https://www.exent.ai/analysts/steven-forbes) | [Guggenheim](https://www.exent.ai/firms/guggenheim) | 4.7★ | 45.3% |

Other analysts covering ULTA: [Susan Anderson](https://www.exent.ai/analysts/susan-anderson) · [Michael Baker](https://www.exent.ai/analysts/michael-baker)

Ratings are shown with a 30‑day delay. Who the top‑ranked analysts on ULTA are, their live calls and the median target of only the top‑rated analysts are in [Exent Gems](https://www.exent.ai/radar).

The average analyst’s target is reached about 53.1% of the time; Exent Gems is built on the top 50 of Exent’s ranking,where some reached 90% or more over the last two years. [Unlock the top 50 analysts](https://www.exent.ai/radar).

## ULTA returns by year vs the S&P 500

ULTA beat the S&P 500 in 4 of the 9 full calendar years shown.

| Year | ULTA | S&P 500 | Difference |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026 (to Oct 30, 2026) | +5.9% | +11.7% | −5.8% |
| 2025 | +39.1% | +17.7% | +21.4% |
| 2024 | −11.2% | +24.9% | −36.1% |
| 2023 | +4.5% | +26.2% | −21.7% |
| 2022 | +13.8% | −18.2% | +32.0% |
| 2021 | +43.6% | +28.7% | +14.9% |
| 2020 | +13.4% | +18.3% | −4.9% |
| 2019 | +3.4% | +31.2% | −27.8% |
| 2018 | +9.5% | −4.6% | +14.1% |
| 2017 | −12.3% | +21.7% | −34.0% |

## ULTA risk-adjusted returns: Sharpe, Sortino and volatility

Over 5 years, ULTA had a Sharpe ratio of **0.40** against 0.58 for the S&P 500, so it earned less return per unit of risk than the index. Its annualized volatility was 32.8% and its beta 0.82: it tended to move about 0.8× as much as the market.

| Metric | ULTA | S&P 500 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Annual return | +11.8% | +12.0% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 32.8% | 15.5% |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.40 | 0.58 |
| Sortino ratio | 0.57 | 0.91 |
| Max drawdown (month-end) | −36.0% | −23.9% |
| Beta to the S&P 500 | 0.82 | 1.00 |

[Sharpe](https://www.exent.ai/learn/sharpe-ratio) divides return above cash by total volatility; [Sortino](https://www.exent.ai/learn/sortino-ratio) counts only downside volatility. Both use monthly returns and the 1–3 month T‑bill ETF (BIL) as the risk‑free rate.

## How ULTA behaved in past crashes

ULTA’s deepest fall in the crises below was **−57.4%** in the covid crash (feb–mar 2020), against −34.1% for the S&P 500. The last column turns that into money: what a $100,000 position would have lost from peak to trough.

| Crisis | ULTA | S&P 500 | Loss on $100,000 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2018 trade-war selloff | −27.1% | −20.2% | −$27,110 |
| COVID crash (Feb–Mar 2020) | −57.4% | −34.1% | −$57,350 |
| 2022 inflation bear market | −20.7% | −25.4% | −$20,700 |
| 2025 tariff selloff | −14.3% | −19.0% | −$14,250 |

| Window | ULTA max drawdown |
| --- | --- |
| Last 1 year | −32.1% |
| Last 3 years | −44.6% |
| Last 5 years | −44.6% |
| Last 10 years | −64.9% |

Peak‑to‑trough declines from daily prices inside each crisis window. A crash replay does not predict the next crisis; it shows how much room a holding needs. Run the same replay on a whole portfolio with the [crash test](https://www.exent.ai/tools/crash-test).

## What moves with ULTA, and what doesn’t

Correlation runs from −1 (moves opposite) to +1 (moves in lockstep). Over the last 60 months of monthly returns, ULTA’s correlation with the S&P 500 was **0.39**, with the Nasdaq‑100 0.24, with long Treasuries (TLT) 0.28 and with gold (GLD) 0.20.

Adding a 5% ULTA position to an S&P 500 portfolio would have moved its 5‑year volatility from 15.5% to 15.4%.

| Least correlated large caps | Correlation | Most correlated large caps | Correlation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
|  | −0.14 |  | 0.52 |
|  | −0.14 |  | 0.50 |
|  | −0.11 |  | 0.44 |
|  | −0.10 |  | 0.44 |
|  | −0.05 |  | 0.42 |

Holdings that are highly correlated behave like one position in a selloff. See [how to find hidden overlap](https://www.exent.ai/resources/is-my-portfolio-diversified).

## Latest ULTA upgrades, downgrades and price‑target changes

| Date | Rating and target | Analyst |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Sep 15 | Upgrade Sell → Hold Target $525, was $450 | Ike Boruchow Wells Fargo |
| Sep 9 | New coverage Hold Target $580, was $600 | Kelly Crago BMO Capital |
| Sep 8 | Target raised Buy Target $673, was $667 | Kate McShane Goldman Sachs |

Named analysts’ rating and price‑target changes on ULTA in the 5 weeks to Oct 12, 2026, shown 30 days after publication (the free analysts’ calls 3 days after). The top‑ranked analysts’ calls are in [Exent Gems](https://www.exent.ai/radar). [See all of the latest analyst upgrades and downgrades](https://www.exent.ai/analysts/upgrades).

## Do analysts get ULTA right?

Of the 718 analyst price targets on ULTA set from 2019 until a year ago, **78.0%** were reached within 12 months (data to Oct 20, 2026), 9.4 points above the 68.6% hit rate of the median stock in Exent’s study of 794 stocks. Targets that were reached took a median of 87 days. The median target sat 15.0% above the share price on the day it was set.

- **78.0%** of targets reached within 12 months

- **87 days** median time to reach a target

| After | Calls | Move on the call | 3 months vs S&P 500 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Upgrades of ULTA | 18 | +0.1% | −0.2% |
| Upgrades, all stocks | 11,514 | +2.5% | +3.4% |
| Downgrades of ULTA | 15 | −4.0% | −5.9% |
| Downgrades, all stocks | 10,700 | −3.0% | −1.6% |

The move on the call runs from the close before the rating change to the close after it; the last column is the stock’s return minus the S&P 500’s over the next three months. Averages of rating changes on ULTA through Sep 15, 2026; analysts are not named here. [Do analyst upgrades move stocks?](https://www.exent.ai/resources/do-analyst-upgrades-move-stocks)

## How ULTA moves after earnings

ULTA beat the consensus earnings‑per‑share estimate in **10 of its last 12** quarterly reports, through the one on Aug 27, 2026, and the revenue estimate in 10 of 12. From the close before each report to the close after it, the stock moved 8.5% on average, up or down, against 6.8% for the average report across the 1,002 US stocks Exent tracks. It rose after 6 of the 12 reports. In 4 of the 10 beats the stock still fell.

- **10/12** earnings beats

- **±8.5%** average move per report

- **6/12** reports followed by a rise

| Report | EPS vs estimate | Revenue vs estimate | Stock move |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Aug 27, 2026 | $6.55 vs $6.22 | +1.6% | −4.7% |
| Jun 2, 2026 | $7.74 vs $6.89 | +1.4% | −5.9% |
| Mar 12, 2026 | $8.01 vs $8.10 | +1.6% | −17.9% |
| Dec 4, 2025 | $5.14 vs $4.61 | +5.3% | +10.5% |
| Aug 28, 2025 | $5.78 vs $5.10 | +4.1% | −7.7% |
| May 29, 2025 | $6.70 vs $5.81 | +1.9% | +13.1% |
| Mar 13, 2025 | $8.46 vs $7.13 | +0.6% | +8.6% |
| Dec 5, 2024 | $5.14 vs $4.53 | +1.3% | +7.1% |

Reported earnings per share against the consensus estimate, revenue surprise in percent, and the stock’s price change over the two sessions around the report. [How stocks move after earnings](https://www.exent.ai/resources/how-stocks-move-after-earnings)

## Where ULTA’s revenue comes from

In fiscal 2025, ULTA’s largest segment was Gift card breakage, with 100.0% of $27.0 million revenue (+11.0% on the year before).

From ULTA’s annual filings; segment growth compares fiscal 2025 with the year before. Regions are as each company reports them, so one company’s “Asia Pacific” is not another’s. China counts the regions a company reports as China, Greater China or Hong Kong; a separately reported Taiwan is not counted. [Which S&P 500 companies depend most on China?](https://www.exent.ai/resources/sp-500-china-revenue-exposure)

## Members of Congress who traded ULTA

As of Oct 20, 2026, **15 members of Congress** had disclosed 43 trades in ULTA (16 buys and 27 sales) in STOCK Act disclosures filed with the House and Senate. The latest public trade is dated Jul 7, 2026.

| Trade date | Member | Type | Amount |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Jul 7, 2026 | [Ro Khanna](https://www.exent.ai/congress/ro-khanna) | Buy | $1,001–$15,000 |
| Mar 19, 2026 | [Maria Elvira Salazar](https://www.exent.ai/congress/maria-elvira-salazar) | Buy | $15,001–$50,000 |
| Feb 3, 2026 | [Tony Wied](https://www.exent.ai/congress/tony-wied) | Sale | $15,001–$50,000 |
| Jan 13, 2026 | [Ro Khanna](https://www.exent.ai/congress/ro-khanna) | Sale | $1,001–$15,000 |
| Jan 9, 2026 | [Ro Khanna](https://www.exent.ai/congress/ro-khanna) | Sale | $1,001–$15,000 |
| Jan 6, 2026 | [Ro Khanna](https://www.exent.ai/congress/ro-khanna) | Sale | $1,001–$15,000 |
| Dec 11, 2025 | [Dan Newhouse](https://www.exent.ai/congress/dan-newhouse) | Sale | $1,001–$15,000 |
| Oct 14, 2025 | [Ro Khanna](https://www.exent.ai/congress/ro-khanna) | Sale | $1,001–$15,000 |
| Sep 23, 2025 | [Valerie Hoyle](https://www.exent.ai/congress/valerie-hoyle) | Sale | $1,001–$15,000 |
| Jul 10, 2025 | [Ro Khanna](https://www.exent.ai/congress/ro-khanna) | Buy | $1,001–$15,000 |

Amounts are the ranges members report, not exact values. The STOCK Act gives members up to 45 days to disclose a trade, so trades appear weeks after they are made. [See every member’s disclosed trades](https://www.exent.ai/congress)

## Are ULTA insiders buying or selling?

In the 12 months to Oct 20, 2026, ULTA insiders made **no open‑market purchases** and **2 sales** worth $1.8 million, according to SEC Form 4 filings. The last open‑market purchase on record was on Mar 20, 2025.

After the 19 insider purchases of $10,000 or more since 2012, ULTA beat the S&P 500 by an average of 9.0 percentage points over the next 12 months; 53% of them were followed by a beat. Across all 17,865 insider purchases in Exent’s study, the average was +17.2% and the median +1.0% against the index.

| Date | Insider | Role | Value |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Mar 20, 2025 | Steelman Kecia | President and CEO | $499,528 |
| Jun 26, 2020 | Blount Sally E. | Director | $48,250 |
| Sep 30, 2019 | Heilbronn Charles | Director | $6.8 million |
| Sep 27, 2019 | Heilbronn Charles | Director | $625,608 |
| Sep 26, 2019 | Heilbronn Charles | Director | $1.8 million |

The table lists the latest open‑market purchases on record, leaving out the last 30 days. The chart counts Form 4 purchases and sales by calendar quarter. Purchases are open‑market buys; sales include planned sales under 10b5‑1 trading plans. [Do insider buys beat the market?](https://www.exent.ai/resources/do-insider-buys-beat-the-market)

## How much of ULTA is sold short?

As of the Sep 30, 2026 settlement date, **5.73%** of ULTA’s float was sold short: 2.4 million shares, or 5.0 days of average trading volume to cover. A year earlier (Oct 15, 2025) it was 4.41%. The median across the 997 US stocks Exent tracks was 4.77%, so ULTA is more heavily shorted than most.

From FINRA short‑interest reports, filed twice a month; the bars show the short share of the float at each month‑end. Days to cover divides the shares short by the average daily volume. [The most shorted stocks](https://www.exent.ai/resources/most-shorted-stocks)

## How many institutions own ULTA?

At the end of Q2 2026 (Jun 30, 2026), **1,073 institutions** reported holding ULTA in 13F filings, down 74 from the quarter before and down from 1,097 a year earlier. Their reported holdings add up to 99.1% of ULTA’s shares. In the quarter 437 institutions added to their positions and 448 cut them.

- **1,073** 13F holders

- **107** new positions

- **177** positions closed

- **99.1%** of shares held by 13F filers

Investment managers with over $100 million in US equities file 13F reports within 45 days of each quarter end, so this is the latest complete quarter. Holdings can add up to more than 100% when shares are lent and counted twice. [Which stocks institutions are buying and selling](https://www.exent.ai/resources/institutional-ownership-13f-changes)

## Is ULTA diluting shareholders?

ULTA’s diluted share count **fell 20.5%** over the five fiscal years to fiscal 2025 and fell 5.1% in fiscal 2025 alone. Each share now owns a larger slice of the company. The median change across the 1,005 US stocks Exent tracks was −0.1%.

Stock‑based compensation was $37.4 million in fiscal 2025, 0.3% of revenue. ULTA spent $901.4 million buying back shares, a buyback yield of 4.05% of its market value; stock pay equaled 4.2% of the buybacks.

- **−5.1%** share count, 1 year

- **−20.5%** share count, 5 years

- **0.3%** stock pay as % of revenue

- **4.05%** buyback yield

Weighted‑average diluted shares from ULTA’s annual income statements; stock‑based compensation and buybacks from its cash‑flow statement. [Stock dilution and stock‑based compensation, explained](https://www.exent.ai/resources/stock-dilution-and-stock-based-compensation)

## ULTA financial health scores

In Exent’s Oct 20, 2026 snapshot, ULTA’s Altman Z‑score was **6.59**, in the safe zone (where 465 of the 794 non‑financial US stocks Exent tracks sit). Its Piotroski F‑score was **5 out of 9**; 80% of scored stocks reach 5 or more.

- **6.59** Altman Z‑score: safe zone

- **5/9** Piotroski F‑score

The Altman Z‑score combines five balance‑sheet and earnings ratios into one bankruptcy‑risk score: below 1.81 is the distress zone, 1.81–2.99 grey, above 2.99 safe. It is not meaningful for banks, insurers and REITs. The Piotroski F‑score counts nine yes/no tests of profitability, leverage and efficiency; 8–9 is strong, 0–2 weak. Both come from the latest annual statements. [Which stocks have the highest bankruptcy risk?](https://www.exent.ai/resources/altman-z-score-bankruptcy-risk-stocks)

## What ULTA talks about on earnings calls

On its latest earnings call (Aug 27, 2026), ULTA’s executives and analysts mentioned AI **7 times**, against 8 on the call before (Jun 2, 2026); the average across 455 S&P 500 calls that quarter was 12.9. After AI, the most mentioned topic was china (1). Tariffs and recession did not come up.

| Mentions | Aug ’26 | Jun ’26 | Mar ’26 | Dec ’25 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| AI | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 |
| AI agents | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Data centers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tariffs | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| China | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Recession | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

Word counts in the full transcript of each call, prepared remarks and Q&A, newest first. “AI” also counts generative AI and large language models; “AI agents” counts agentic AI. [Which companies talk most about AI?](https://www.exent.ai/resources/ai-mentions-on-earnings-calls)

## Which ETFs hold ULTA?

As of Oct 20, 2026, **51** of the 304 ETFs Exent tracks held ULTA. Its largest weight is in XLY (State Street Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR ETF), at 0.67% of the fund.

| ETF | Fund | Weight of ULTA |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [XLY](https://www.exent.ai/etfs/xly) | State Street Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR ETF | 0.67% |
| [QUAL](https://www.exent.ai/etfs/qual) | iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF | 0.55% |
| [VOT](https://www.exent.ai/etfs/vot) | Vanguard Mid-Cap Growth Index Fund | 0.55% |
| [GSLC](https://www.exent.ai/etfs/gslc) | Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF | 0.30% |
| [VO](https://www.exent.ai/etfs/vo) | Vanguard Mid-Cap Index Fund ETF Shares | 0.23% |
| [RSP](https://www.exent.ai/etfs/rsp) | Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF | 0.22% |
| [IWS](https://www.exent.ai/etfs/iws) | iShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF | 0.20% |
| [IWR](https://www.exent.ai/etfs/iwr) | iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF | 0.19% |

Owning several of these funds stacks the same position. [How much do VOO, QQQ and VTI overlap?](https://www.exent.ai/resources/etf-overlap-voo-qqq-vti)

## How much is ULTA’s CEO paid?

Kecia L. Steelman, ULTA’s President Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer), received total pay of **$15.4 million** for fiscal 2025, up 144.5% from $6.3 million for fiscal 2024, according to the company’s [proxy statement](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1403568/000110465926046308/0001104659-26-046308-index.htm) filed with the SEC on Apr 22, 2026. 62% of it came as stock and option awards, valued when they were granted rather than when they pay out. The median CEO pay across the 378 S&P 500 companies Exent tracks was $17.2 million, so ULTA’s CEO earned less than most.

| Pay component | Amount | Share of total |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Salary | $1.4 million | 8.8% |
| Stock and option awards | $9.6 million | 62.2% |
| Incentive plan (cash) | $4.4 million | 28.5% |
| Other | $84,255 | 0.5% |

| Other top executives | Role | Total pay, 2025 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Christopher J. DelOrefice | Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer) | $4.5 million |
| Rene G. Cásares | Chief Legal Officer | $4.2 million |
| Anita J. Ryan | Chief Human Resources Officer | $4.2 million |
| Paula M. Oyibo | Former Chief Financial Officer | $3.1 million |

Figures from the summary compensation table of the proxy statement; awards count at their grant‑date value, so one large multi‑year grant can make a single year stand out. [CEO pay across the S&P 500](https://www.exent.ai/resources/ceo-pay-sp-500)

## The right benchmark for ULTA

Exent matches every holding to the index with the most similar risk. For ULTA that is **SPY** (the S&P 500). Comparing a holding with an index that carries very different risk makes good results look bad and risky ones look clever. Read [why the S&P 500 is the wrong benchmark for most portfolios](https://www.exent.ai/resources/why-the-sp-500-is-the-wrong-benchmark).

## Other consumer cyclical stocks

| Ticker | Name | 5‑year return | Volatility (5y) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
|  | Amazon.com, Inc. | +42.5% | 36.5% |
|  | Tesla, Inc. | +7.7% | 58.6% |
|  | The Home Depot, Inc. | +0.5% | 24.6% |
|  | McDonald's Corporation | +18.1% | 17.2% |
|  | The TJX Companies, Inc. | +130.3% | 22.2% |
|  | Booking Holdings Inc. | +56.6% | 33.5% |
|  | Lowe's Companies, Inc. | −1.2% | 26.1% |
|  | Starbucks Corporation | +10.0% | 31.3% |

## Data and methodology

Returns are total returns from month‑end adjusted closing prices (dividends reinvested) through Oct 30, 2026. Crisis drawdowns and trailing maximum drawdowns use daily prices. Analyst coverage counts ratings published in the last 12 months, shown with a 30‑day delay. Full method: [Exent methodology](https://www.exent.ai/methodology).

Company data as of Oct 20, 2026. The move around an earnings report runs from the close before it to the close after it; a price target counts as hit when the stock closed at or beyond it within 12 months (Exent analyst data). Revenue by region and segment, share counts and executive pay come from company filings; insider trades from SEC Form 4, short interest from FINRA, institutional ownership from 13F filings, Congress trades from STOCK Act disclosures filed with the House and Senate, federal contracts from USAspending.gov. Filings from the last 30 days are shown as counts only.

Past performance does not guarantee future results. Historical figures are calculated by Exent from market data and are for education only; they are not investment advice or a recommendation to buy or sell any security.

## Check ULTA with Exent Gems

Wall Street’s average ULTA price target is 5.1% below the latest share price. See what the best‑ranked analysts on ULTA say now in Exent Gems.

1. Exent ranks Wall Street analysts by their past price‑target hit rate and returns, and keeps the best‑ranked few.
2. Gems shows who the top‑ranked analysts covering ULTA are, their live calls and the median target of only the top‑rated analysts.
3. Gems flags the stocks where several top‑ranked analysts agree: a starting point for your own research, not a promise.

Exent is our product: [Exent Gems](https://www.exent.ai/radar)

Also: [Stress‑test your portfolio with ULTA](https://www.exent.ai/portfolio)

## Frequently asked questions

### Did ULTA beat the S&P 500 over the last 10 years?

No. ULTA returned +163.2% (+10.2% a year) over the 10 years to Oct 30, 2026, versus +316.3% (+15.3% a year) for the S&P 500, including dividends.

### Is ULTA in the S&P 500?

Yes. As of Oct 20, 2026, ULTA (Ulta Beauty, Inc.) is one of the 503 stocks in the S&P 500.

### Is ULTA in the Nasdaq-100?

No. As of Oct 20, 2026, ULTA (Ulta Beauty, Inc.) is not one of the 101 stocks in the Nasdaq-100.

### How much did ULTA fall in the COVID crash?

ULTA fell −57.4% from peak to trough during the covid crash (feb–mar 2020), versus −34.1% for the S&P 500.

### How much did ULTA fall in the 2022 bear market?

ULTA fell −20.7% from peak to trough during the 2022 inflation bear market, versus −25.4% for the S&P 500.

### What is ULTA’s Sharpe ratio?

Over the 5 years to Oct 30, 2026, ULTA’s Sharpe ratio was 0.40 and its Sortino ratio 0.57, versus 0.58 and 0.91 for the S&P 500.

### Is ULTA a volatile stock?

ULTA’s 5‑year annualized volatility was 34.2%, higher than the S&P 500’s 17.0%, with a beta of 0.82.

### What is least correlated with ULTA?

Among large US stocks, the lowest correlations with ULTA over the last 60 months were PANW (−0.14), UNH (−0.14), CRWD (−0.11). Its correlation with long Treasuries (TLT) was 0.28 and with gold (GLD) 0.20.

### Does ULTA usually beat earnings estimates?

ULTA beat the consensus earnings-per-share estimate in 10 of its last 12 quarterly reports through Aug 27, 2026, and the revenue estimate in 10 of 12. The stock moved 8.5% on average, up or down, from the close before each report to the close after it.

### How much does ULTA’s CEO make?

Kecia L. Steelman, ULTA’s President Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer), received $15.4 million in total pay for fiscal 2025, including a $1.4 million salary and $9.6 million in stock and option awards valued at grant, according to the proxy statement filed with the SEC on Apr 22, 2026. The median S&P 500 CEO received $17.2 million.

### Have members of Congress traded ULTA?

Yes. As of Oct 20, 2026, 15 members of Congress had disclosed 43 trades in ULTA (16 buys and 27 sales) in STOCK Act disclosures filed with the House and Senate.

### What is ULTA’s short interest?

As of the Sep 30, 2026 settlement date, 5.73% of ULTA’s float was sold short (2.4 million shares, 5.0 days to cover), according to FINRA short-interest reports. A year earlier it was 4.41%.

### Is ULTA diluting shareholders?

No. ULTA’s diluted share count fell 20.5% over the five fiscal years to fiscal 2025 and fell 5.1% in the latest year. Stock-based compensation was 0.3% of revenue, and buybacks totaled $901.4 million.

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Educational content, not investment advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results.