Lululemon Athletica, Inc. slightly raised its revenue guidance for the fourth quarter while narrowing its EPS target.
For the fourth quarter of fiscal 2022, the company now expects that net revenue will be in the range of $2.66 billion to $2.70 billion, representing a 25 percent-27 percent increase compared to the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021. The previous guidance range was $2.605 billion to $2.655 billion.
Diluted earnings per share are now expected to be in the range of $4.22 to $4.27 for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2022 compared to the company’s previous guidance range of $4.20 to $4.30.
The company also said it now expects gross margin for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2022 to decline 90-110 basis points compared to its previous expectation for an increase of 10-20 basis points. However, the company now expects that it will further leverage selling, general and administrative expenses 100-to-120 basis points compared to its previous expectation of 30-50 basis points of leverage.
The revised guidance for the fourth quarter continues to assume an effective tax rate of approximately 28.5 percent.
Company CEO Calvin McDonald commented: “We are pleased with our continued revenue growth and momentum in the business, as our teams navigate a dynamic macro-backdrop. In Q4, traffic remains strong across both physical and digital channels, and we anticipate delivering another quarter of solid earnings growth consistent with our updated EPS forecast. 2022 has been a strong year for lululemon, and we remain focused on the significant opportunities ahead as we continue to deliver on our Power of Three x2 growth plan.”
Photo courtesy Lululemon
