Lululemon (LULU) Earnings Live: Stock Looks to Overseas Expansion for Catalyst

1. U.S. Consumer Weakness and Brand Maturity
LULU’s North American business may be experiencing demand fatigue. If comps remain flat or decline despite category innovation, it would raise structural concerns about brand saturation. A prolonged period of flat traffic, especially in core urban and affluent regions, would pressure both the topline and multiple.

2. SG&A Scaling Faster Than Sales
Operating leverage is deteriorating. SG&A has grown faster than revenue in three of the last four quarters. While some of that is international infrastructure and digital investment, the Street will penalize any trend where fixed cost growth erodes margin without accelerating revenue.

3. Margin Compression from Promotions or Labor
Gross margin is a source of strength — but vulnerable to surprise. If inventory mix turns unfavorable, or if promotional cadence picks up in response to weak traffic, margin could compress faster than guided. In addition, store-level wage inflation and international logistics costs may pressure the full-year outlook.

4. Execution Abroad Amid Market Complexity
China is LULU’s brightest spot, but not without risk. Rising competition, geopolitical tensions, and consumer shift toward local athleisure brands could stall growth in FY25–26. A slowdown in comp or higher-than-expected store opex in Asia would challenge the thesis that international can offset U.S. maturity.

1. U.S. Comps and Traffic Trends
The key domestic question: is traffic finally stabilizing? Store productivity in the U.S. declined last quarter despite product newness like Cityverse and performance capsule expansions. Flat comps in North America are pressuring the entire growth narrative. Investors want to hear if foot traffic has improved in April and May, and whether promotions were necessary to drive conversion.

2. China Growth and Store Maturity Curve
China was up 45% YoY last quarter and continues to be LULU’s strongest growth engine. The company has guided to 30–35% growth in the region for FY24, supported by double-digit store additions and increasingly localized merchandising. The Street wants proof that this growth is sustainable — not just reopening comps — and that LULU’s brand equity remains intact amid rising domestic competition.

3. Margin Management and Expense Control
With operating margin expected to decline this year, investors are watching for discipline in SG&A and marketing. Can gross margin expansion — via mix and reduced freight — fully offset rising labor and tech infrastructure costs? Any signs that SG&A is tracking higher than expected would validate bear concerns.

4. Men’s and Footwear Momentum
The long-term bull case requires LULU to scale beyond its women’s activewear core. Growth in men’s and footwear is critical. Updates on new product launches, attach rates, and early adoption in key regions will provide insight into how fast LULU is progressing toward TAM expansion.

Q1 FY2024 Street Estimates:

• Revenue: $2.20B (+9.6% YoY)

• EPS: $2.38

• Gross Margin: ~58.9%

• Operating Margin: ~20.4%

• Inventory Growth (YoY): ~9%

• Digital Sales Mix: ~41%

FY24 Outlook (as guided):

• Revenue: $10.7B – $10.8B

• EPS: $14.00 – $14.20

• Operating Margin: down ~100 bps YoY

• Capex Guide: ~$640M

Lululemon has beaten EPS expectations in 10 of the past 12 quarters, but the recent sentiment shift has made post-earnings reactions more binary. Analysts are modeling modest gross margin expansion (~170 bps YoY in Q1), but SG&A growth remains elevated — expected to rise ~14% YoY as LULU builds infrastructure and opens stores in Asia and Europe.

Inventory, which ballooned in 2023, has returned to a healthier trajectory, and Q1 is expected to show continued improvement. Management’s ability to demonstrate inventory efficiency without returning to excessive promotions will be viewed as a margin management competency.

With digital comprising over 40% of total sales, channel productivity and omni-channel integration commentary will also shape FY expectations. Any indication that U.S. traffic is improving, or that China comps remain resilient into Q2, could trigger a sharp sentiment reversal.