Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bearish stance on Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ:ULTA).And retail traders should know.We noticed this today when the positions showed up on publicly available options history that we track here at Benzinga.Whether these are institutions or just wealthy individuals, we don't know. But when something this big happens with ULTA, it often means somebody knows something is about to happen.Today, Benzinga's options scanner spotted 9 options trades for Ulta Beauty.This isn' ...

Group 1: Company Overview - The Gap is a leading global apparel retailer with a diversified brand portfolio and significant international presence, combining scale and brand recognition with a multi-channel distribution strategy [2][3] - The company targets a broad consumer base including men, women, and children, with a global footprint across North America, Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa [3] - The Gap generates revenue through company-operated stores, franchise locations, e-commerce platforms, and third-party partnerships, leveraging both physical and digital retail channels [3] Group 2: Recent Developments - Legacy Capital Wealth Partners, LLC reduced its position in The Gap by selling 200,000 shares, resulting in a net value decrease of approximately $4.32 million [5][6] - As of November 12, 2025, The Gap shares were priced at $24.91, and the sell activity brought The Gap to 1.8% of 13F AUM, moving it outside the top five holdings [4][5] - The reduction in holdings may indicate frustration with the stock, as it has not moved significantly since its purchase, despite having a low P/E ratio of 11 [6][7] Group 3: Financial Performance - The Gap has experienced revenue growth in the low single digits, with profitability remaining flat, making it less likely to drive market-beating returns [7]

Core Viewpoint - Ralph Lauren Corporation is highlighted as a strong investment opportunity due to its significant share buyback activity and recent stock performance, particularly under CEO Patrice Louvet's leadership [1][2] Group 1: Share Buyback and Stock Performance - The company has retired 34.1% of its shares since the end of 2015, which has contributed to its stock performance being on par with the S&P 500 during that period [1] - Ralph Lauren's stock has increased nearly 60% this year, outperforming many other consumer brands [1] - The company is recognized as a "phenomenal winner," with a 33% increase in stock value for 2025, significantly outperforming the S&P 500 [2] Group 2: Leadership and Future Outlook - CEO Patrice Louvet is praised for his leadership, which has been instrumental in the company's recent success [1] - The company is expected to achieve steady margin expansion, with a promise of 150 basis points over three years, which is viewed positively despite being lower than previous expectations [2] - Ralph Lauren is noted to have a competitive advantage or "moat," which is an important consideration for investors [2]

Coty Inc. (COTY) is among the best fundamentally strong penny stocks to buy according to analysts. On December 19, Reuters reported that Coty Inc. (NYSE:COTY) had sold its remaining 25.8% ownership in Wella, a multinational hair care and cosmetics brand, to KKR in a $750 million transaction, while retaining a share of proceeds from any sale or IPO in the future. Coty Inc. (NYSE:COTY) stated that it is entitled to 45% of any proceeds from a sale or IPO of the business after KKR’s preferred return is achie ...

Key Takeaways Ulta Beauty (ULTA) shares surged to a record high on Friday after the cosmetics and fragrance retailer posted earnings that topped analysts' estimates and raised its outlook. The stock was up over 14% in recent trading, on track to finish the week at an all-time high and leading gains in the S&P 500. (Read our daily markets coverage here.) Beauty has been among retail's most resilient categories, outperforming apparel and other goods as consumers continue to spend on cosmetics, fragrances, and ...

Core Insights - Victoria's Secret & Co. reported a strong third quarter for fiscal year 2025, with net sales of $1.472 billion, a 9% increase from $1.347 billion in the same quarter of 2024, exceeding previous guidance [3][7] - The company is raising its full-year outlook for net sales and adjusted operating income, indicating confidence in continued growth and a successful holiday season [6][7] Financial Performance - Net sales for the third quarter of 2025 were $1.472 billion, up 9% from $1.347 billion in Q3 2024, and total comparable sales increased by 8% [3][4] - The operating loss for Q3 2025 was $19 million, an improvement from a loss of $47 million in Q3 2024, while the net loss was $37 million, or $0.46 per diluted share, compared to a net loss of $56 million, or $0.71 per diluted share, in the prior year [4][23] - Adjusted operating income for Q3 2025 was breakeven at $0 million, better than the previously communicated guidance of an adjusted operating loss of $35 million to $55 million [5][27] Outlook - The company raised its full-year net sales forecast to a range of $6.450 billion to $6.480 billion, up from the previous guidance of $6.330 billion to $6.410 billion [6] - For Q4 2025, net sales are expected to be between $2.170 billion and $2.200 billion, compared to $2.106 billion in Q4 2024, with adjusted operating income projected to be between $265 million and $290 million [7][31] Strategic Initiatives - The CEO emphasized the execution of the "Path to Potential" strategy, which focuses on global growth, brand distinctiveness, and enhancing customer experience [2][6] - The company is prioritizing investments in product innovation and brand strength while managing costs effectively [2][4]

Core Insights - Ralph Lauren Corporation (RL) is a leading luxury lifestyle brand with a market capitalization of $20.1 billion, offering a diverse range of products including clothing, footwear, accessories, and home furnishings [1] Performance Overview - RL shares have significantly outperformed the broader market, gaining 61.7% over the past year compared to the S&P 500 Index's 10.5% increase [2] - Year-to-date (YTD) performance shows RL stock up 41.6%, while the S&P 500 has risen 11.2% [2] - Compared to the Kraneshares Global Luxury Index ETF (KLXY), which gained 14.3% over the past year, RL's YTD returns also exceed the ETF's 6.2% [3] Financial Results - In Q2, RL reported an adjusted EPS of $3.79, exceeding Wall Street's expectation of $3.45, and revenue of $2 billion, surpassing the forecast of $1.9 billion [4] - Analysts project RL's EPS to grow by 25% to $15.41 for the current fiscal year ending in December [4] - RL has consistently beaten consensus estimates in the last four quarters [4] Analyst Ratings - Among 18 analysts covering RL, the consensus rating is a "Strong Buy," with 14 "Strong Buy" ratings, one "Moderate Buy," and three "Holds" [5] - The current analyst sentiment is more bullish than two months ago, with an increase in "Strong Buy" recommendations [6] - Jefferies Financial Group analyst set a price target of $385, indicating a potential upside of 17.8%, while the mean price target is $376.44, representing a 15.1% premium [6]

Company Overview - Coty Inc. is a global beauty company founded in 1904, specializing in fragrances, cosmetics, and skincare [3]. Allegations and Investigation - Edelson Lechtzin LLP is investigating potential violations of federal securities laws involving Coty Inc., stemming from allegations of providing misleading business information to investors [1]. - The investigation follows Coty's announcement of its full-year 2025 and fourth-quarter results on August 20, 2025, which revealed an unexpected loss and guidance that was softer than anticipated [4]. - The CFO of Coty attributed the disappointing results to several factors, including slowing beauty-market profits, value-seeking consumers, innovation fatigue, and the impacts of anti-theft and immigration policy changes [4]. - Following the earnings announcement, Coty's stock price dropped by $1.05 per share, or 21.6%, closing at $3.81 per share on August 21, 2025 [4].

Core Insights - Wall Street has set ambitious price targets for various stocks, indicating attractive upside potential, but skepticism is warranted due to institutional pressures on analysts that may lead to overly optimistic forecasts [1] nCino (NCNO) - nCino's consensus price target is $35.61, suggesting a 38% implied return [3] - The current stock price of $25.80 results in a valuation ratio of 4.9x forward price-to-sales, raising caution regarding its valuation [5] Coty (COTY) - Coty's consensus price target is $5.02, indicating a 35.2% implied return [6] - The stock trades at $3.72 per share, with a forward P/E ratio of 8.1, which may not meet investment criteria [8] PVH (PVH) - PVH's consensus price target is $97, reflecting a 26.6% implied return [9] - Sales trends have been underwhelming, with a 13.4% annual growth rate that is below typical software company performance [11] - Estimated sales growth of 5.7% for the next 12 months suggests a slowdown in demand compared to the previous two years [11] - Gross margin stands at 60.2%, indicating relatively high servicing costs [11] - Organic revenue growth has not met benchmarks, suggesting a need for improvements in products, pricing, or go-to-market strategies [12] - Rising costs have outpaced revenue growth, leading to a 6.3 percentage point decline in operating margin [12] - Earnings per share have decreased by 14.1% annually over the past three years, raising concerns about long-term stock price performance [12] - Underwhelming constant currency revenue performance over the past two years indicates that current product offerings may not resonate with customers [13] - Anticipated sales growth of 2.5% for the next year implies shaky demand [13] - Low returns on capital suggest management struggles with effective fund allocation, with declining returns indicating diminishing profit pools [13]

NEW YORK, Nov. 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Leading securities law firm Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP announces an investigation into Coty Inc. (NYSE: COTY) for potential violations of the federal securities laws. If you invested in Coty, you are encouraged to obtain additional information by visiting: https://www.bfalaw.com/cases/coty-inc-class-action. Why Is Coty being Investigated?Coty is one of the world’s largest beauty companies with a portfolio of brands across fragrance, color cosmetics, and skin and b ...