Lululemon’s Q4 Profits Soar on 28% Same-Store Gain

Earnings results far exceeded its own expectations. In January, Lululemon raised its fourth-quarter earnings guidance to between 55-57 cents a share from a range of 46 to 48 cents due to strong sales.

Other highlights of the fourth quarter ended Jan. 30:

    * Direct to consumer revenue increased 152% to $24.6 million, or 10% of total company sales, in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2010, from 6% of total revenue in the same period last year.
    * Gross profit for the quarter increased by 66% to $143.5 million, and as a percentage of net revenue gross profit increased to 58.5% for the quarter from 53.9% in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2009.
    * Income from operations for the quarter increased by 72% to $71.3 million, and as a percentage of net revenue was 29.1% compared to 25.8% of net revenue in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2009.
    * The tax rate for the quarter was 23.5% compared to 31.4% a year ago, after an adjustment of $8.9 million reversing deferred tax liabilities recorded in Q1 through Q3 of fiscal 2010. This adjustment resulted from a revision to managements plans for repatriation of unremitted earnings of the Canadian operating subsidiary. Normalized for this adjustment, the tax rate for the quarter was 35.9%.
    * Normalized for the tax adjustment, diluted earnings per share for the quarter were $0.64.

For the fiscal year ended January 30, 2011:

    * Net revenue for the fiscal year increased 57% to $711.7 million from $452.9 million in fiscal 2009.
    * Comparable stores sales for fiscal 2010 increased by 30% on a constant dollar basis, resulting in a record $1,726 sales per square foot as at January 30, 2011.
    * Direct to consumer revenue increased 214% to $57.3 million, or 8% of total Company sales, in fiscal 2010, from 4% of total revenue in fiscal 2009.
    * Gross profit for the fiscal year increased by 77% to $394.9 million from $223.1 million in fiscal 2009. As a percentage of net revenue, gross profit increased to 55.5% for fiscal 2010 from 49.3% in fiscal 2009.
    * Income from operations increased by 108% to $180.4 million, and as a percentage of net revenue was 25.3% compared to 19.1% of net revenue in fiscal 2009.
    * The tax rate for fiscal 2010 was 33.3% compared to 32.8% for fiscal 2009.
    * Diluted earnings per share in fiscal 2010 increased 106% to $1.69 on net income of $121.8 million, compared to diluted earnings per share of $0.82 on net income of $58.3 million in fiscal 2009.

The company ended fiscal 2010 with $316.3 million in cash and cash equivalents compared to $159.6 million at the end of fiscal 2009. Inventory at the end of fiscal 2010 totaled $57.5 million compared to $44.1 million at the end of fiscal 2009. The company ended the quarter with 137 stores in North America and Australia.

Christine Day, lululemon's CEO, stated: “We ended one of the best years in lululemon's history with strong Q4 results that extended the consistent sales growth and margin expansion that we enjoyed for each quarter of 2010. The exceptionally strong sell through of our Q4 product line leaves us with short term unmet demand in the first quarter due to a low inventory position. However, the strength of our business model and growing guest demand for our product give us the opportunity to accelerate our store and e-commerce channel growth in 2011 and to establish ourselves as the number one women's athletic wear brand. While we will see some cost pressures in 2011, we are confident in our ability to maintain our business model through disciplined management, operating efficiencies and leverage on higher sales.”

Updated Outlook

For the first quarter of fiscal 2011, the company said it expects net revenue to be in the range of $175 million to $180 million based on a comparable-store sales percentage increase in the low double digits on a constant-dollar basis. Diluted earnings per share are expected to be in the range of 36 cents to 38 cents for the quarter. This assumes 72.4 million diluted weighted-average shares outstanding and a 36% tax rate.

For fiscal 2011, it expects net revenue to be in the range of $885 million to $900 million and diluted earnings per share are expected to be in the range of $1.90 to $2.00 for the full year. This assumes a tax rate of 36% and 72.6 million diluted weighted-average shares outstanding.