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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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How inflation rebound is set to affect UK interest rates

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How inflation rebound is set to affect UK interest rates


Interest rates are widely expected to remain at 3.75% as Bank of England policymakers prioritise curbing above-target inflation while also monitoring economic growth, according to expert analysis.

The Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is anticipated to leave borrowing costs unchanged when it announces its latest decision on Thursday, marking its first interest rate setting meeting of the year.

This follows a rate cut delivered before Christmas, which was the fourth such reduction.

At the time, Governor Andrew Bailey noted that the UK had “passed the recent peak in inflation and it has continued to fall”, enabling the MPC to ease borrowing costs. However, he cautioned that any further cuts would be a “closer call”.

Since that decision, official data has revealed that inflation unexpectedly rebounded in December, rising for the first time in five months.

How the UK interest rate has changed in recent years

The Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation rate reached 3.4% for the month, an increase from 3.2% in November, with factors such as tobacco duties and airfares contributing to the upward pressure on prices.

Economists suggest this inflation uptick is likely to reinforce the MPC’s inclination to keep rates steady this month.

Philip Shaw, an analyst for Investec, stated: “The principal reason to hold off from easing again is that at 3.4% in December, inflation remains well above the 2% target.”

He added: “But with the stance of policy less restrictive than previously, there are greater risks that further easing is unwarranted.”

Shaw also highlighted other data points the MPC would consider, including gross domestic product (GDP), which saw a return to growth of 0.3% in November – a potentially encouraging sign for policymakers.

Matt Swannell, chief economic advisor to the EY ITEM Club, affirmed: “Keeping bank rate unchanged at 3.75% at next week’s meeting looks a near-certainty.”

The rate of inflation in recent years

The rate of inflation in recent years

He noted that while some MPC members who favoured a cut in December still have concerns about persistent wage growth and inflation, recent data has not been compelling enough to prompt back-to-back reductions.

Edward Allenby, senior economic advisor at Oxford Economics, forecasts the next rate cut to occur in April.

He explained: “The MPC will continue to face a delicate balancing act between supporting growth and preventing inflation from becoming entrenched, with forthcoming data on pay settlements likely to play a decisive role in shaping the next policy move.”

The Bank’s policymakers have consistently voiced concerns regarding the pace of wage increases in the UK, which can fuel overall inflation.



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Budget 2026: India pushes local industry as global tensions rise

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Budget 2026: India pushes local industry as global tensions rise



India’s budget focuses on infrastructure and defence spending and tax breaks for data-centre investments.



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New Income Tax Act 2025 to come into effect from April 1, key reliefs announced in Budget 2026

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New Income Tax Act 2025 to come into effect from April 1, key reliefs announced in Budget 2026


New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday said that the Income Tax Act 2025 will come into effect from April 1, 2026, and the I-T forms have been redesigned such that ordinary citizens can comply without difficulty for ease of living. 

The new measures include exemption on insurance interest awards, nil deduction certificates for small taxpayers, and extension of the ITR filing deadline for non-audit cases to August 31. 

Individuals with ITR 1 and ITR 2 will continue to file I-T returns till July 31.

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“In July 2024, I announced a comprehensive review of the Income Tax Act 1961. This was completed in record time, and the Income Tax Act 2025 will come into effect from April 1, 2026. The forms have been redesigned such that ordinary citizens can comply without difficulty, for)  ease of living,” she said while presenting the Budget 2026-27

In a move that directly eases cash-flow pressure on individuals making overseas payments, the Union Budget announced lower tax collection at source across key categories.

“I propose to reduce the TCS rate on the sale of overseas tour programme packages from the current 5 per cent and 20 per cent to 2 per cent without any stipulation of amount. I propose to reduce the TCS rate for pursuing education and for medical purposes from 5 per cent to 2 per cent,” said Sitharaman.

She clarified withholding on services, adding that “supply of manpower services is proposed to be specifically brought within the ambit of payment contractors for the purpose of TDS to avoid ambiguity”.

“Thus, TDS on these services will be at the rate of either 1 per cent or 2 per cent only,” she mentioned during her Budget speech.

The Budget also proposes a tax holiday for foreign cloud companies using data centres in India till 2047.



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