Meta description: Lululemon athletica inc. stock is jumping on December 12, 2025 after a better-than-expected fiscal Q3 report, an expanded buyback plan, and a surprise CEO transition. Here’s the latest on LULU stock price action, guidance, analyst targets, and the key risks investors are watching.
Lululemon athletica inc. (NASDAQ: LULU) is seeing a sharp move higher on Friday, December 12, 2025, as investors digest a combination of better-than-feared quarterly results, a major leadership shake-up, and a larger share repurchase authorization. As of the latest available quote, LULU is trading around $211 (up roughly 13% on the day), after opening near $205 and trading as high as about $213.
The rally comes after the company reported third-quarter fiscal 2025 results (quarter ended November 2, 2025) and issued updated outlook commentary heading into the holiday quarter—while also announcing CEO Calvin McDonald will step down at the end of January 2026. [1]
Why Lululemon stock is moving today
Three catalysts are dominating today’s LULU stock narrative:
- Q3 fiscal 2025 earnings beat expectations on the top and bottom line, even as the Americas business remained soft. [2]
- A CEO succession announcement signaled a potential “reset” moment for a brand that has struggled to regain U.S. momentum in 2025. [3]
- A bigger buyback authorization added a shareholder-return tailwind at a time when the stock has been down sharply year-to-date. [4]
That combination—earnings resilience plus a leadership change and additional capital return—helps explain why investors are bidding up the stock despite ongoing concerns about competition and promotions in U.S. athleisure. [5]
Key takeaways from Lululemon’s Q3 fiscal 2025 earnings
Lululemon reported:
- Net revenue up 7% to $2.6 billion
- Comparable sales up 1% (2% on a constant-dollar basis)
- Diluted EPS of $2.59 (down year over year from $2.87) [6]
But the details show a clear split between geographies:
- Americas: net revenue declined 2%, and Americas comparable sales fell 5%
- International: net revenue rose 33%, and International comparable sales increased 18% [7]
Profitability also reflected pressure:
- Gross margin decreased 290 basis points to 55.6%
- Operating margin decreased 350 basis points to 17.0%
- Income from operations fell 11% to $435.9 million [8]
On the balance sheet, Lululemon said inventories ended the quarter up 11% to $2.0 billion (up 4% on a unit basis), while cash and cash equivalents were about $1.0 billion. [9]
Store growth continued as well: the company finished the quarter with 796 stores after opening 12 net new company-operated stores. [10]
Holiday-quarter guidance: the big “but” behind the rally
Even with a Q3 beat, guidance is where the market is still doing the most work.
For the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025, Lululemon expects:
- Revenue: $3.500 billion to $3.585 billion
- Diluted EPS: $4.66 to $4.76 [11]
Importantly, the company highlighted calendar comparability because fiscal 2024 included a 53rd week, while fiscal 2025 is a 52‑week year—an issue that can distort year-over-year growth rates and headline “declines” if you don’t adjust. [12]
For the full fiscal year 2025, Lululemon now expects:
- Revenue: $10.962 billion to $11.047 billion
- Diluted EPS: $12.92 to $13.02 [13]
The company also disclosed regional expectations in its outlook tables, showing continued weakness expected in the U.S./Americas (in constant dollars excluding the prior-year 53rd week) versus much stronger growth expectations in China Mainland and the rest of the world. [14]
CEO Calvin McDonald is stepping down—why leadership is now the story
Lululemon confirmed that CEO Calvin McDonald will step down effective January 31, 2026. The company’s board is conducting a search for a permanent successor, and McDonald is expected to remain as a senior advisor through March 31, 2026, according to reporting on the announcement. [15]
Interim leadership will be shared by:
- Meghan Frank (CFO) and André Maestrini (Chief Commercial Officer) as interim co-CEOs [16]
And board chair Marti Morfitt is taking on an expanded role as executive chair during the transition. [17]
Reuters reporting underscores why the change matters for markets: investors appear to be betting that a new CEO could bring a more aggressive growth and turnaround approach—especially in the U.S., where Lululemon has ceded share to newer and lower-priced competitors. [18]
Founder Chip Wilson escalates pressure on the board
Adding another layer of volatility, founder and major shareholder Dennis “Chip” Wilson issued a statement on December 12 criticizing the board’s succession planning and calling for new independent directors to help lead the CEO search. [19]
Reuters also reported that Wilson had been weighing a potential proxy fight to push for board changes, according to a Wall Street Journal report referenced by Reuters. [20]
For LULU stock, that creates a double-edged setup:
- Potential upside: governance pressure can accelerate change and sharpen strategic focus.
- Potential downside: leadership and boardroom drama can distract management during a critical holiday quarter and a brand repositioning cycle.
Buyback boost: $1 billion added, about $1.6 billion remaining
Lululemon’s board approved a $1.0 billion increase to the company’s stock repurchase program (approved December 3, 2025). As of December 11, 2025, the company said it had approximately $1.6 billion remaining under its repurchase authorization. [21]
During Q3 fiscal 2025, Lululemon repurchased 1.0 million shares for $189 million, per its earnings release. [22]
Buybacks don’t fix the underlying merchandising and demand challenges, but they can support EPS and signal management confidence—especially when paired with a low headline valuation relative to the brand’s historical multiples.
Analyst forecasts and price targets: “Hold” dominates, but targets are moving
Wall Street reaction on December 12 has been notably mixed: upgrades and higher targets, but plenty of “wait and see” language focused on the U.S. turnaround and margin headwinds.
Highlights from today’s analyst notes and coverage include:
- Jefferies upgraded LULU to Hold from Underperform, raising its price target to $170 from $120, explicitly framing the CEO departure as a positive catalyst—but warning 2026 could still be tough. [23]
- Piper Sandler raised its target to $190 from $165 while keeping a Neutral rating, describing results as “better than feared” and discussing inventory discipline and margin pressures. [24]
- Guggenheim reiterated a Neutral stance after the Q3 beat, while flagging concerns around domestic brand saturation and the softness in U.S. comps. [25]
Other targets and ratings referenced in today’s coverage include:
- Telsey Advisory Group: price target raised to $215 (per Investing.com coverage) [26]
- UBS: price target raised to $206 (per Investing.com coverage) [27]
- BTIG: maintained Buy with $303 target (per Investing.com coverage) [28]
- Bernstein: reiterated Market Perform with $190 target (per Investing.com coverage) [29]
For a broader “consensus” snapshot, MarketBeat currently shows a Hold consensus rating and an average price target around $225.55 (with a wide high/low range). [30]
Valuation check: low multiple, but the market wants proof of a U.S. fix
With LULU trading near $211 today, the stock’s market cap is around $19.4 billion and the trailing P/E shown in market data is roughly 11x.
Reuters, citing LSEG data, also points to a forward P/E multiple around 14.66, comparing it with higher multiples for some peers (and lower for others), reinforcing the debate: is Lululemon “cheap for a reason,” or does the valuation already price in a lot of bad news? [31]
Operational fixes in focus: “decluttering” stores and tightening the assortment
Beyond leadership, Lululemon’s near-term turnaround hinges on execution details—especially the in-store experience and how product is presented.
Business Insider reported that executives discussed plans to reduce in-store assortment density and highlight more relevant styles locally, with tests mentioned in places like Los Angeles and Miami. [32]
This matters because a consistent critique in 2025 has been that the brand’s assortment and merchandising felt fragmented, while competitors gained mindshare with fresher silhouettes and clearer product storytelling.
Options market and volatility: traders expected a big post-earnings move
Ahead of earnings, options pricing suggested the market was bracing for a sharp move in either direction. TipRanks/TheFly reported implied volatility pointing to roughly a 10% post-earnings move expectation (and elevated pre-earnings options volume). [33]
Given today’s double-digit upside move, that expectation looks directionally aligned with what actually happened—an indication of how uncertain sentiment had become going into the print and leadership news.
The biggest risks facing Lululemon stock from here
Even with today’s surge, several risks remain front and center:
- U.S. brand momentum: Americas comps were negative, and management is still working through product and merchandising issues. [34]
- Competition: Reuters highlights pressure from newer athleisure players (Alo Yoga, Vuori) and lower-priced alternatives from large brands. [35]
- Promotions and margins: Reuters noted expectations for higher discounts and marketing spend, which can weigh on profitability. [36]
- Tariffs and cost inflation: Reuters reported Lululemon forecasts a $210 million tariff-related hit to 2025 operating income and expects an operating-margin decline of about 390 basis points. [37]
- Leadership transition execution risk: interim co-CEOs and an active CEO search can create uncertainty about strategy consistency and speed. [38]
- Shareholder activism dynamics: Chip Wilson’s public pressure raises the odds of governance turbulence if the board and founder can’t align. [39]
What could drive further upside for LULU stock
The bull case investors appear to be leaning into today is not just “a good quarter”—it’s a credible path to a reset:
- A new CEO with product and brand “rebuild” credibility, which some analysts suggest the market is craving. [40]
- International strength continuing to offset a choppy U.S. backdrop, especially with China and broader international markets still growing faster than the Americas. [41]
- Sharper inventory discipline and less reliance on discounting, which could help restore full-price selling and margins over time. [42]
- Buybacks providing a steady demand source for shares if management continues repurchases under the expanded authorization. [43]
Bottom line for December 12, 2025
Lululemon stock is rallying because the market got two things at once: an earnings result that was “good enough” to stabilize confidence, and a leadership change that investors are interpreting as a catalyst for a strategic refresh—particularly in the U.S., where the brand has struggled to keep pace with shifting tastes and intensifying competition. [44]
From here, the next major chapter for LULU stock will likely be written by (1) how the holiday quarter tracks versus guidance, (2) whether margin pressure proves manageable, and (3) how quickly the board lands a permanent CEO—and whether that choice satisfies both Wall Street and activist shareholder voices around the company. [45]
References
1. corporate.lululemon.com, 2. corporate.lululemon.com, 3. www.reuters.com, 4. corporate.lululemon.com, 5. www.reuters.com, 6. corporate.lululemon.com, 7. corporate.lululemon.com, 8. corporate.lululemon.com, 9. corporate.lululemon.com, 10. corporate.lululemon.com, 11. corporate.lululemon.com, 12. corporate.lululemon.com, 13. corporate.lululemon.com, 14. corporate.lululemon.com, 15. apnews.com, 16. www.reuters.com, 17. apnews.com, 18. www.reuters.com, 19. markets.ft.com, 20. www.reuters.com, 21. corporate.lululemon.com, 22. corporate.lululemon.com, 23. www.investing.com, 24. uk.investing.com, 25. uk.investing.com, 26. uk.investing.com, 27. uk.investing.com, 28. uk.investing.com, 29. uk.investing.com, 30. www.marketbeat.com, 31. www.reuters.com, 32. www.businessinsider.com, 33. www.tipranks.com, 34. corporate.lululemon.com, 35. www.reuters.com, 36. www.reuters.com, 37. www.reuters.com, 38. www.reuters.com, 39. markets.ft.com, 40. www.reuters.com, 41. corporate.lululemon.com, 42. uk.investing.com, 43. corporate.lululemon.com, 44. corporate.lululemon.com, 45. www.reuters.com
