Focus and relaxation are major components of yoga culture. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for lululemon athletica (NASDAQ:LULU), since the yoga-gear retailer has run into several distractions lately.
Whether it's Herb Greenberg's accusations that the company's CEO is padding his resume, or a New York Times expose on iffy seaweed-fiber apparel claims, lululemon must have all the concentration of a soda-sipping toddler at a fast-food playground right now.
Integrity is important when it comes to high-end appeal. Do you think that Chipotle could get away with its $6 burritos if its "food with integrity" claim was ever in doubt?
So with all this tumult, shoppers must be flying out of lululemon stores, right? Not exactly. The specialty retailer posted stellar quarterly results this morning. Revenue soared 84% to $66.2 million, with profits more than quadrupling to $0.11 a share. Heady expansion is helping, but check out the 36% comps at the store level. (That figure gets reduced to a still-impressive 26% on a constant dollar basis, to offset the currency gains from its Canadian presence.)
So what? That's lululemon's rear-view mirror. The company will really feel the pinch now, as shoppers defect from the fresh smorgasbord spread of scandals. Right?
Not so fast. The company is substantially hiking its guidance this morning. It's now looking to earn between $0.40 and $0.42 a share this fiscal year (ending in early February). It had previously projected annual profitability of $0.30 to $0.33 a share.
The company certainly has its skeptics. Alyce Lomax is right to point out that several other retailers have interests in yoga apparel, like Liz Claiborne's (NYSE:LIZ) prAna and VF's (NYSE:VFC) Lucy. However, these goods are sold through various different chains. The strength of lululemon athletica lies in its namesake stores, which are quickly becoming desirable tenants for mall landlords who want to attract a ritzier clientele.
The stock may be as pricey as some of its high-end clothing. Pumped-up guidance helps, but lululemon is still trading at a sobering 100 times this year's bottom-line outlook.
That kind of multiple will stand out when mall staples like Abercrombie & Fitch (NYSE:ANF), American Eagle (NYSE:AEO), and Aeropostale (NYSE:ARO) are fetching profit multiples in the teens. (Not unlike their target shoppers.)
However, none of those chains come even close to matching lululemon's comps, growth, and clear path to expansion. Ritzy suburban malls will likely dangle tempting leasehold improvement offers to attract the RILF (that's Retailer I'd Like to Finance) that this focused -- and relaxed -- chain has become.
The bears may have valid points, but the numbers do not lie. Count me in with the bulls, who are sitting pretty -- in or out of the Sukhasana position.
