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Investing.com - Piper Sandler has lowered its price target on Lululemon Athletica Inc. (NASDAQ:LULU) to $200 from $270 while maintaining a Neutral rating on the stock. The downgrade comes as the stock trades near its 52-week low, having declined over 47% in the past six months. According to InvestingPro analysis, the company maintains impressive gross profit margins of 59.3% despite recent challenges.
The firm cited increasing competition as a key concern, noting that competitors Alo and Vuori have gained 4 percentage points of market penetration versus Lululemon’s footprint in key states including California, Florida, New York, New Jersey, and Texas compared to last year. Alo is also expanding into Canada, making competitive pressures more significant. Despite these challenges, InvestingPro data shows Lululemon maintaining solid revenue growth of 9.4% and healthy liquidity with a current ratio of 2.28.
Piper Sandler questioned Lululemon’s product execution, suggesting there might be over-investment in innovation with 57 instances of innovation or newness in color counted year-to-date, almost three times last year’s levels. The firm also noted growth in the company’s sale section, with the number of SKUs in the "We Made Too Much" section now slightly above last holiday season.
For the second quarter of 2025, Piper Sandler models earnings per share at $2.74, below the company’s guidance range of $2.85-$2.90. The firm highlighted that Lululemon’s inventories are high, up 23%, though the company has historically guided gross margins conservatively. With a P/E ratio of 14.6, the stock appears attractively valued relative to its historical levels. For deeper insights into LULU’s valuation and growth prospects, investors can access comprehensive analysis through InvestingPro’s detailed research reports, available for over 1,400 US stocks.
The price target reduction reflects a multiple compression to 14 times Piper Sandler’s 2025 earnings estimate versus 18 times previously, which the firm attributes to lack of growth in the U.S. market. The firm lowered its 2025 and 2026 earnings estimates to $14.15 and $14.50 per share, respectively, with U.S. growth projected at just 1% for both years.
In other recent news, Lululemon Athletica Inc. reported several notable developments. The company announced the opening of its first Italian store in Milan, a two-story location covering approximately 5,700 square feet, showcasing both men’s and women’s collections. Meanwhile, Lululemon has taken legal action against Costco (NASDAQ:COST), accusing the retailer of selling unauthorized copies of its popular products, including SCUBA hoodies and DEFINE jackets, under the Kirkland brand.
In terms of analyst activity, Jefferies lowered its price target for Lululemon to $160 while maintaining an Underperform rating, citing growth concerns. Similarly, Evercore ISI reduced its price target to $265, though it retained an Outperform rating, noting an 18% upside based on 2026 earnings estimates. Evercore also removed Lululemon from its Top 5 Outperform list, replacing it with Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ:ULTA).
In contrast, Stifel reiterated its Buy rating with a price target of $324, expressing confidence in Lululemon’s innovation cycle to drive growth. These recent developments reflect a mix of strategic moves and challenges faced by the company.
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