This content material has been produced by Opto and was initially printed on the Opto Blog.
Lululemon Athletica’s [LULU] inventory worth has plunged from its coronavirus pandemic highs. With the athletic put on retailer anticipated to race previous its income and earnings estimates, does its fourth quarter and 2021 year-end announcement on 29 March current a shopping for alternative?
The corporate exceeded Wall Avenue forecasts within the three earlier quarters of final 12 months, however the impression of the omicron variant and the flip from progress to worth shares attributable to excessive inflation may have an effect on its monetary figures.
In keeping with a consensus estimate from 21 analysts polled by Yahoo Finance, Lululemon is predicted to report revenues of $2.13bn, up 23.4% from the year-ago quarter. Earnings per share are forecast to come back in at $3.28, up from $2.58 in the identical interval of 2020.
Whereas analysts are forecasting one other quarter of progress, the corporate’s personal steerage has been adjusted for the reason that finish of the December quarter to account for capability constraints, restricted employees availability and lowered working hours. In a buying and selling replace printed on 10 January, Lululemon revised its income outlook for the upcoming quarter to between $2.125bn–2.165bn and earnings of $3.25–3.32 per share.
Shares in Lululemon initially plunged 8.9% on the day of the announcement earlier than closing down 1.9% at $348.43 — the inventory has largely remained under this level since. Expectations for a fourth consecutive earnings beat may carry a much-needed injection of confidence for the inventory.
Footwear launch revives Lululemon’s inventory
The Lululemon share worth made appreciable beneficial properties within the latter a part of 2021, reaching a 52-week excessive of $485.83 on 16 November. Nonetheless, it has dropped 17.9% for the reason that begin of the 12 months to shut at $321.14 on 25 March.
Although administration revised its expectations downwards for this week’s earnings replace, a possible increase for the inventory may come from its entry into the footwear area.
On 22 March, the corporate launched the ‘Blissfeel’ working shoe for ladies, the primary in a variety of footwear it plans to carry out over the course of the 12 months. Client demand for sports activities sneakers seems to be sturdy, demonstrated by footwear maker Nike’s [NKE] robust third quarter of $10.9bn in income final week.
Buyers cheered the announcement, with the inventory rising 2.2% on the day of the launch. As reported by Barron’s, Jefferies analyst Randal Konik cited that the corporate’s enlargement into footwear might be a gorgeous income generator. He stated that the Lululemon model is “off to a superb begin with execution in footwear”, however nonetheless maintained a ‘maintain’ score on the inventory.
Menswear and on-line gross sales raise Q3 outcomes
Lululemon posted third quarter (Q3) income of $1.5bn — beating Refinitiv estimates of $1.41bn, in accordance with CNBC — and earnings per share of $1.62, surpassing the forecasted $1.41.
Notable progress drivers included on-line gross sales, which had been buoyed by the corporate’s efforts to enhance consumer expertise and ease of cost. “We’ve been investing for months, fairly frankly, going again to the start of the pandemic to get our digital channel able to anticipate the form of quantity,” Calvin McDonald, CEO of the corporate, stated on the Q3 earnings name.
The increase in gross sales was additionally helped by the success of its menswear division, which grew 44% year-over-year. Compared, gross sales of the core womenswear line grew 25%.
The rising reputation of the model’s menswear might have been helped by the launch of Lululemon’s largest-ever promoting marketing campaign in August 2021, which centered on interesting to its male prospects.
In 2019, the corporate introduced plans to double its males’s providing by 2023, however it’s already effectively forward of schedule, in accordance with CNBC. Based mostly on this success, the launch of its males’s footwear vary in 2023 might be an thrilling prospect.
Analysts see long-term promise
In a observe to traders launched on 22 March, UBS referred to as Lululemon “a long-term market share gainer able to delivering higher progress than nearly all different softline corporations”. “Our sense is traders are in search of indicators within the 4Q report LULU’s elementary narrative is unbroken,” analysts on the agency wrote in a observe seen by Yahoo Finance.
Nonetheless, some analysts are involved that there’s more likely to be a slowdown in progress within the fourth quarter. Bernstein retail analyst Aneesha Sherman initiated protection on the inventory with a $260 worth goal and an ‘underperform’ score, in accordance with monetary information website Pulse 2.0. Chatting with Yahoo Finance on 22 March, Sherman warned that the model is “priced about 30% to 40% forward of rivals” and will not have the ability to “press the envelope” any additional, regardless of its prosperous buyer base.
In keeping with 31 analysts polled by MarketScreener, LULU has a consensus ‘outperform’ score, with 14 analysts score the inventory a ‘purchase’. Lululemon inventory has a median worth goal of $415.45, representing an upside of 29.4% from its 25 March closing worth.
Disclaimer Previous efficiency isn’t a dependable indicator of future outcomes.
CMC Markets is an execution-only service supplier. The fabric (whether or not or not it states any opinions) is for normal data functions solely, and doesn’t have in mind your private circumstances or goals. Nothing on this materials is (or ought to be thought-about to be) monetary, funding or different recommendation on which reliance ought to be positioned. No opinion given within the materials constitutes a advice by CMC Markets or the writer that any explicit funding, safety, transaction or funding technique is appropriate for any particular individual.
The fabric has not been ready in accordance with authorized necessities designed to advertise the independence of funding analysis. Though we’re not particularly prevented from dealing earlier than offering this materials, we don’t search to benefit from the fabric previous to its dissemination.
CMC Markets doesn’t endorse or provide opinion on the buying and selling methods utilized by the writer. Their buying and selling methods don’t assure any return and CMC Markets shall not be held answerable for any loss that you could be incur, both straight or not directly, arising from any funding based mostly on any data contained herein.
*Tax remedy will depend on particular person circumstances and may change or might differ in a jurisdiction apart from the UK.
