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Lululemon CEO Calvin McDonald to depart in January as retailer struggles to compete, woo shoppers

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Lululemon CEO Calvin McDonald to depart in January as retailer struggles to compete, woo shoppers


Lululemon announced Thursday its CEO Calvin McDonald will step down effective Jan. 31 following more than a year of underperformance at the athleisure company. 

The company’s board of directors is working with a “leading executive search firm” to identify its next CEO, it said in a news release. McDonald will stay on as a senior advisor through March 31. 

“The timing is right for a change,” McDonald said on a call with analysts, “I’ve described being CEO of Lululemon as my dream job. It truly has lived up to every expectation and given me the opportunity of a lifetime.”

Lululemon’s CFO Meghan Frank and Chief Commercial Officer André Maestrini will serve as interim co-CEOs during the search process. The company’s board chair Marti Morfitt will also take on the expanded role of executive chair. In a statement, she said the company has a strong foundation in place but needs a new leader that can guide it through a transition.

“As we look to the future, the Board is focused on identifying a leader with a track record of driving companies through periods of growth and transformation to guide the company’s next chapter of success,” said Morfitt.

Shares rose about 10% in extended trading.

The leadership change follows more than a year of underperformance at Lululemon and calls for change from its founder and its largest independent shareholder Chip Wilson. Two months ago, he took out a full page ad in the Wall Street Journal saying the company is “in a nosedive” and it needed to “stop chasing Wall Street at the expense of customers.” 

Lululemon announced McDonald’s departure on the same day it posted fiscal third-quarter earnings and another round of weak guidance. 

Here’s how the company did compared with what Wall Street was anticipating, based on a survey of analysts by LSEG:

  • Earnings per share: $2.59 vs. $2.25 expected
  • Revenue: $2.57 billion vs. $2.48 billion expected

The company’s reported net income for the three-month period that ended Nov. 2 was $306.84 million, or $2.59 per share, compared with $351.87 million, or $2.87 per share, a year earlier. 

Sales rose to $2.57 billion, up from $2.40 billion a year earlier. 

For Lululemon’s current quarter, McDonald said the company is “encouraged” by its early performance so far this holiday season — though guidance fell short of Wall Street estimates. It anticipates sales will be between $3.50 billion and $3.59 billion, largely below expectations of $3.60 billion, according to LSEG. 

It’s expecting earnings per share to be between $4.66 and $4.76, well short of expectations of $5.03, according to LSEG. 

In the previous two quarters, Lululemon cut its full-year guidance. On Thursday, more than a month into the final quarter of the year, it raised its full-year expectations.

It now anticipates sales will be between $10.96 billion and $11.05 billion, in line with expectations at the low end, according to LSEG. It expects earnings per share to be between $12.92 and $13.02, roughly in line with estimates of about $13, according to LSEG.

The company saw strong demand during its Thanksgiving weekend, which allowed it to clear through stale inventory at a discount, said McDonald.

“I also want to acknowledge we’ve seen trends slow a bit since Thanksgiving, which we’ve taken into account in our Q4 guidance,” said McDonald. “However, despite this, we expect revenue trends in the U.S. and Q4 to be modestly improved relative to Q3.”

Lululemon’s business has been under pressure over the last year as it navigates the impact of tariffs, a shaky U.S. consumer and a product assortment that’s failed to wow shoppers in the same way it once did. It’s also facing steep competition in the athleisure space from upstarts like Vuori and Alo Yoga as well as a change in consumer preferences. Instead of yoga pants, these days many shoppers are reaching for denim. 

To drive growth and reach a wider audience, Lululemon has been working to expand its business internationally and offer shoppers a wider assortment. Instead of just workout gear, Lululemon has expanded into shoes, outerwear like coats and jackets and casual pants that can be worn at work. 

The company’s overall business is growing, but the expansion has largely come from its international business and new store openings. Its largest market, the Americas, has been declining. 

During the quarter, revenue in the Americas decreased 2%, with comparable sales down 5%, while international sales jumped 33%. Comparable sales abroad increased 18%.

Lululemon is also being hit by the end of the de minimis exemption, which allowed low value packages to enter the U.S. duty free, a bit more acutely than its peers. 

In September, it said it expects tariffs to hit its full year profits by $240 million and most of those costs will come from the de minimis exemption ending. Following progress with vendor negotiations and other mitigation efforts, it now expects tariffs to reduce its profits by $210 million.



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Oil prices fall as Trump pauses Project Freedom to seek final peace deal with Iran

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Oil prices fall as Trump pauses Project Freedom to seek final peace deal with Iran


Oil prices fell and Asian stock markets surged to record highs on Wednesday after Donald Trump said negotiations with Iran were making “great progress” toward a final agreement and announced a brief pause in US operations escorting ships through the Strait of Hormuz.

Brent crude tumbled 1.2 per cent to $108.51 a barrel, still well above its roughly $70 price before the war began, but lower than the highs of recent weeks.

Wall Street had already set records on Tuesday, with the S&P 500 rising 0.8 per cent to a new all-time high and the Nasdaq gaining 1 per cent, as oil pulled back sharply after briefly crossing $115 on Monday.

Strong corporate earnings underpinned the Wall Street rally. DuPont surged 8.4 per cent after the chemical giant reported better-than-expected first-quarter profits and raised its full-year forecasts, even as it acknowledged some impact from logistics disruptions in the Middle East.

Pinterest jumped 6.9 per cent after its number of active monthly users rose 11 per cent to 631 million, beating Wall Street’s sales and profit targets. AB InBev climbed 8.7 per cent after topping profit forecasts on growth for its Corona, Stella Artois and Michelob Ultra brands. “Cheers to beer,” chief executive Michel Doukeris said.

Palantir fell 6.9 per cent despite beating expectations, as its stock continued to struggle on worries about increased competition. American Electric Power rose 1.8 per cent and Cummins added 2.8 per cent after both reported stronger-than-expected results.

In Europe, markets were mixed. The CAC 40 rose 1.1 per cent in Paris while the FTSE 100 fell 1.4 per cent in London. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 0.8 per cent. Many Asian markets were closed for holidays.

The momentum carried into Asia on Wednesday, where MSCI‘s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan jumped 2.3 per cent to a fresh all-time high. South Korea’s Kospi surged 5.1 per cent, clearing the 7,000 mark for the first time, as Samsung Electronics jumped 12 per cent and crossed a $1 trillion market valuation, overtaking Berkshire Hathaway.

The AI trade drove much of the enthusiasm. Advanced Micro Devices jumped 16.5 per cent in extended trading after forecasting second-quarter revenue above Wall Street expectations on strong demand from cloud computing companies accelerating spending on AI infrastructure.

“Due to the capital expenditure we are seeing from hyperscalers in the US, the earnings growth trajectory for sectors such as semiconductors, tech hardware, industrials and materials in Asia exceeds anything I have seen in a long time,” Rushil Khanna, head of equity investments for Asia at Ostrum, an affiliate of Natixis Investment Managers, told Reuters. “This capex is leading to material value creation in Asia as the provider of the picks and shovels to the AI ecosystem.”

(AP)

The diplomatic backdrop of US-Iran talks also helped the markets. Mr Trump said he would briefly pause US operations escorting ships through the strait, which has been effectively closed since Iran blockaded it in late February, triggering a global energy shock. US defence secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the ceasefire remained in place despite the US and Iran exchanging fire the previous day.

“Markets embraced a sense of calm and stability overnight, with the risk of escalation in the Middle East conflict viewed as having diminished,” analysts from Westpac wrote in a note.

Despite the optimism, analysts cautioned that significant uncertainties remained this week.

“A fragile ceasefire, a novel blockade, Friday’s NFP and diminishing odds of a US-Iran peace deal are all converging this week,” said Lukman Otunuga, head of market research at trading broker FXTM.

“Gold may find itself on the losing end of conflict-induced inflation fears, even as uncertainty grips markets.”

Gold rose 1.2 per cent to $4,609.59. The dollar index slipped 0.1 per cent, snapping a three-day winning streak, with the euro rising to $1.1724 and sterling to $1.3577.

The Australian dollar climbed 0.6 per cent to its highest since June 2022, buoyed by improved risk appetite and underpinned by a third consecutive interest rate rise from the Reserve Bank of Australia, which cited the Middle East conflict’s impact on fuel and commodity prices. The ten-year US Treasury yield held flat at 4.424 per cent.



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Top stocks to buy today: Stock recommendations for May 6, 2026 – check list – The Times of India

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Top stocks to buy today: Stock recommendations for May 6, 2026 – check list – The Times of India


Top stocks to buy (AI image)

Stock market recommendations: Mehul Kothari, DVP – Technical Research at Anand Rathi Shares has recommended Castrol India, Concord Biotech, and Intellect Design Arena as the top stocks to buy today, May 6, 2026.Castrol India Ltd – Harmonic Completion with Momentum ConfirmationBuy: ₹186–₹180 | Stop Loss: ₹166 | Target: ₹214Castrol India has completed a classic AB=CD harmonic structure, highlighting price symmetry and a potential reversal zone. This completion aligns with the 61.8% internal Fibonacci retracement, reinforcing the importance of this support area. Additionally, the presence of the 1.27 external retracement adds further confluence to the bullish setup. Momentum indicators support this view, with RSI sustaining above the 50 mark, indicating improving strength and positive bias. Overall, the structure suggests a high probability of upward movement from current levels.Concord Biotech Ltd – Base Formation with Momentum ExpansionBuy: ₹1200–₹1170 | Stop Loss: ₹1070 | Target: ₹1380Concord Biotech has formed a strong base in the ₹1000–₹1100 zone, supported by bullish divergence, indicating accumulation at lower levels. The RSI has crossed above the 60 mark for the first time in several months, reflecting a pickup in momentum and strengthening trend bias. Additionally, the stock has closed above the Williams Alligator indicator, suggesting a transition into a sustained uptrend. The confluence of these factors indicates improving sentiment and increasing buying interest, pointing toward potential continuation of the bullish move.Intellect Design Arena Ltd – Base Breakout with Trend Reversal SignalsBuy: ₹740–₹720 | Stop Loss: ₹660 | Target: ₹850Intellect Design Arena has developed a strong base in the ₹600–₹700 zone, supported by bullish divergence, indicating accumulation at lower levels. The RSI has moved above the 50 mark, signaling improving momentum and strengthening trend conditions. Additionally, the stock has broken above its previous swing high, confirming a potential trend reversal and shift towards an uptrend. The alignment of these technical factors reflects improving sentiment and rising buying interest, suggesting a high probability of continued bullish momentum in the near to medium term.(Disclaimer: Recommendations and views on the stock market, other asset classes or personal finance management tips given by experts are their own. These opinions do not represent the views of The Times of India.)



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Oil prices ease as US pauses Project Freedom to seek Iran deal

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Oil prices ease as US pauses Project Freedom to seek Iran deal



President Donald Trump raised hopes of an agreement between the US and Iran after days of escalation.



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