Lululemon might just be entering a new—and improved—era.
Lululemon Athletica's shares spiked Friday after the company's CEO Calvin McDonald announced his resignation amid declining US sales, with its founder putting the board on notice about a potential proxy battle.
Lululemon CEO Calvin McDonald will step down in the first quarter of 2026 as the athleisure clothing brand faces significant competition challenges.
LULU tops Q3 revenue and EPS estimates on strong international gains, even as margins weaken and Americas results soften.
lululemon athletica inc. is a compelling turnaround play, rated Strong Buy due to discounted valuation and robust international growth. LULU posted Q3 revenue of $2.56B (+6.7% Y/Y) and GAAP EPS of $2.59, beating expectations despite margin pressures from tariffs and discounts. International markets, especially China (sales +46% Y/Y), are driving growth, offsetting weakness in the Americas and supporting a higher long-term growth trajectory.
I upgrade my rating on lululemon athletica after an improvement in sentiment driven by signs of international growth offsetting U.S. headwinds and the CEO departure. After Q3 2025, the Americas segment is still weak: revenue -2% yoy, US -3%, with traffic pulling back post-Thanksgiving, and any improvement possibly is now delayed to Q1 2026. International revenue was up 33% yoy, driven by China Mainland +46%. FY25 China guidance was upgraded to "at or better than" the high end of the 20%–25% range.
lululemon remains a buy as valuation is compelling despite the CEO's departure and recent underperformance. Q3 results beat expectations, driven by strong China growth, but North America sales softened and margins face pressure. Guidance for Q4 is cautious, with management maintaining long-term targets but warning of margin headwinds into FY 2026.
For a decade, Lululemon defined – and arguably created – the modern athleisure category, commanding premium prices and customer devotion through its mix of product quality and lifestyle aspiration.
lululemon athletica inc. (LULU) Q3 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
While the top- and bottom-line numbers for Lululemon (LULU) give a sense of how the business performed in the quarter ended October 2025, it could be worth looking at how some of its key metrics compare to Wall Street estimates and year-ago values.
Lululemon (LULU) came out with quarterly earnings of $2.59 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.22 per share. This compares to earnings of $2.87 per share a year ago.
CEO departure adds another wrinkle to Lululemon's attempts to return to glory days.