Lululemon Athletica Inc. (NASDAQ:LULU) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of Lululemon Athletica Inc. (NASDAQ:LULU) have been given a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the thirty-one research firms that are covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, nine have given a hold recommendation and twenty have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $354.94.

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed an “underperform” rating and issued a $220.00 target price on shares of Lululemon Athletica in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. UBS Group lowered their target price on Lululemon Athletica from $385.00 to $315.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, August 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on Lululemon Athletica from $457.00 to $338.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered Lululemon Athletica from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and lowered their price target for the stock from $463.00 to $286.00 in a research report on Friday, August 2nd. Finally, HSBC raised Lululemon Athletica from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their price objective for the company from $405.00 to $425.00 in a report on Thursday, June 6th.

Lululemon Athletica Trading Up 4.2 %

LULU stock opened at $280.01 on Monday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $257.68 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $310.64. Lululemon Athletica has a 1 year low of $226.01 and a 1 year high of $516.39. The stock has a market cap of $35.00 billion, a PE ratio of 22.45, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 1.25.

Lululemon Athletica (NASDAQ:LULU) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 29th. The apparel retailer reported $3.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.93 by $0.22. Lululemon Athletica had a return on equity of 42.59% and a net margin of 16.34%. The business had revenue of $2.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.41 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.68 EPS. Lululemon Athletica’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts forecast that Lululemon Athletica will post 14.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lululemon Athletica announced that its board has authorized a stock repurchase program on Wednesday, June 5th that allows the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization allows the apparel retailer to repurchase up to 2.5% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are typically a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Lululemon Athletica news, CEO Calvin Mcdonald purchased 4,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 3rd. The shares were bought at an average price of $260.00 per share, for a total transaction of $1,040,000.00. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer now owns 89,922 shares in the company, valued at approximately $23,379,720. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.48% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of LULU. Scarborough Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Lululemon Athletica during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Benjamin Edwards Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Lululemon Athletica by 176.0% during the first quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. now owns 69 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Riverview Trust Co bought a new position in shares of Lululemon Athletica in the 1st quarter valued at $29,000. Larson Financial Group LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Lululemon Athletica by 78.2% during the 2nd quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 98 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 43 shares in the last quarter. Finally, True Wealth Design LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Lululemon Athletica by 2,950.0% during the 4th quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 61 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 59 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 85.20% of the company’s stock.

Lululemon Athletica Company Profile

Lululemon Athletica Inc, together with its subsidiaries, designs, distributes, and retails athletic apparel, footwear, and accessories under the lululemon brand for women and men. It offers pants, shorts, tops, and jackets for healthy lifestyle, such as yoga, running, training, and other activities. It also provides fitness-inspired accessories.