With a market cap of $14.1 billion, lululemon athletica inc. (LULU) is a leading technical athletic apparel, footwear, and accessories company that designs innovative products for yoga, running, training, and a wide range of active lifestyles. The company combines advanced fabric technology with functional design and community-driven product development to create high-performance offerings that promote wellbeing and meaningful customer engagement.
Shares of the athletic apparel maker have underperformed the broader market over the past 52 weeks. LULU stock has decreased 39.4% over this time frame, while the broader S&P 500 Index ($SPX) has rallied 20.6%. Moreover, shares of the company are down 42.3% on a YTD basis, compared to SPX’s nearly 13% gain.
Focusing more closely, shares of the Vancouver, Canada-based company have lagged behind the State Street Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR ETF’s (XLY) 3.2% return over the past 52 weeks.
lululemon athletica's shares dropped 8.6% following its Q1 2026 results on Jun. 4. The company projected Q2 EPS of $1.76 - $1.81, well below analysts' estimate, expected Q2 gross margin to decline about 410 basis points due to higher tariff costs and investments, and lowered its fiscal 2026 revenue outlook to flat to down 1% from the previous 2% - 4% growth forecast while cutting full-year EPS guidance to $10.95 - $11.15 from $12.10 - $12.30.
Investor concerns were compounded by a 4% decline in U.S. Q1 revenue (its largest market), expectations for additional seasonal clearance due to slower-than-expected sales, and muted response to new product launches.
For the fiscal year ending in January 2027, analysts expect lululemon athletica’s EPS to decline 17.6% year-over-year to $10.93. However, the company's earnings surprise history is promising. It beat the consensus estimates in each of the last four quarters.
Among the 32 analysts covering the stock, the consensus rating is a “Hold.” That’s based on one “Strong Buy” rating, 25 “Holds,” two “Moderate Sells,” and four “Strong Sells.”
This configuration is slightly less bullish than three months ago, with two “Strong Buy” ratings on the stock.
On Aug. 4, JPMorgan analyst Matthew Boss raised its price target for Lululemon to $154 while maintaining a “Neutral” rating.
The mean price target of $122.83 represents a 2.5% premium to LULU’s current price levels. The Street-high price target of $175 suggests a 46.1% potential upside.
On the date of publication, Sohini Mondal did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.