After Getting Crushed Earlier This Year, Lululemon Stock Is Soaring. Time to Buy?

Core Viewpoint - Lululemon Athletica's stock has rebounded over 20% in the last 30 days, but remains down over 45% year-to-date, indicating potential for further investment despite recent volatility [1][2]. Financial Performance - Lululemon's fiscal third-quarter revenue increased by 7% year-over-year to $2.6 billion, with significant geographical disparities; Americas revenue fell by 2% while international revenue surged by 33% [5][6]. - Notably, revenue from Mainland China rose by 46% year-over-year to $465.4 million, with comparable sales increasing by 24% [5]. - The "rest of world" revenue also saw a 19% increase to $367.2 million, highlighting strong international momentum [6]. Future Guidance - Management has raised full-year revenue guidance to between $10.96 billion and $11.05 billion, reflecting a growth of 4% year-over-year [8]. - The previous guidance was between $10.85 billion and $11 billion, indicating a positive outlook for the remainder of the fiscal year [9]. Profitability and Margins - The company's gross margin fell by 290 basis points to 55.6%, and operating margin decreased by 350 basis points to 17%, attributed to higher tariffs and markdowns [10]. - Inventory levels increased by 11% year-over-year to $2.0 billion, which could impact future promotions depending on demand [10]. Shareholder Returns - Lululemon repurchased 1.0 million shares for $189 million in fiscal Q3, with a $1.0 billion increase to the share repurchase program approved, leaving $1.6 billion authorized for buybacks [13]. Valuation - The stock trades at approximately 16 times the management's full-year 2025 earnings per share guidance of $12.92 to $13.02, which is below the S&P 500's price-to-earnings ratio of over 25, suggesting a potentially attractive valuation [12].