Why Is Wall Street So Bearish on Lululemon Athletica? There's 1 Key Reason.

Core Insights - Lululemon Athletica's shares have declined 55% this year due to soft consumer spending and weak sales growth, a trend also seen in other retail brands like Nike [1][2] - The brand's reliance on athleisure and fashion-oriented apparel raises risks related to shifting style preferences, but this presents an opportunity for investors to buy at a low valuation [2] - Revenue growth has decelerated to 6.5% year over year in the fiscal second quarter, attributed to a stale assortment lacking newness in key categories [3] - International expansion remains strong, with revenue growing at double-digit rates, indicating positive long-term prospects [3] - Management is adjusting the product assortment to balance new and core styles, though improvements in sales growth may take several quarters [4] Financial Data - Current stock price is $169.61, with a market cap of $20 billion [5][6] - Full-year revenue growth guidance is between 3% and 4%, indicating further deceleration in the holiday quarter [6] - Earnings per share are expected to decline by about 12% this year, projected between $12.77 and $12.97 [6] - The stock is trading at a forward price-to-earnings multiple of around 13, reflecting pessimistic long-term growth assumptions [7]