logo
Lululemon tumbles as slowing demand, tariff woes lead to annual profit cut

Lululemon tumbles as slowing demand, tariff woes lead to annual profit cut

Fashion Network06-06-2025

This comes at a time when U.S. President Donald Trump 's chaotic tariff implementation on all global trading partners has fanned fears that the economy is headed for tepid growth and stagflation, pushing customers to prioritize essential purchases and not splurge.
"We experienced lower store traffic in the Americas, partially reflective of economic uncertainty, inflationary pressures, lower consumer confidence, and changes in discretionary spending," Lululemon said.
In March, Lululemon forecast downbeat annual targets that included a 20-basis-point hit from tariffs.
Lululemon said that 40% of its products were manufactured in Vietnam in 2024, and 28% of its fabrics were sourced from mainland China.
The company now expects annual profit between $14.58 and $14.78 per share, compared with previous expectations of $14.95 to $15.15 each.
Lululemon forecast second-quarter revenue between $2.54 billion and $2.56 billion, compared with estimates of $2.56 billion, according to data compiled by LSEG.
It expects second-quarter profit between $2.85 and $2.90 per share, compared with estimates of $3.29.
"Lululemon also hasn't had a lot of huge hit products recently that are having some effect," said Morningstar analyst David Swartz.
Lululemon has introduced new apparel franchises for men and women — including the Glow Up activewear collection and its new lifestyle trousers Daydrift — after setbacks in innovations such as its Breezethrough leggings collection.
The company's first-quarter revenue rose 7% to $2.37 billion, topping estimates of $2.36 billion.
It maintained its annual revenue forecast of $11.15 billion to $11.30 billion.
"Lululemon has a history of beating numbers, so even when Lululemon doesn't raise estimates, that's considered to be kind of a disappointment," Swartz added.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Patrick Artus: 'In the US, attacks on the public research system and universities compromise growth prospects'
Patrick Artus: 'In the US, attacks on the public research system and universities compromise growth prospects'

LeMonde

time17 hours ago

  • LeMonde

Patrick Artus: 'In the US, attacks on the public research system and universities compromise growth prospects'

The United States, inevitably, is heading for very weak economic growth in 2025. The economic policies being pursued – higher tariffs and restrictions on immigration – have already had visible effects on inflation expectations. These expectations have jumped to as high as 7% over one year, according to a survey of American households by The Conference Board, and up to 6.5%, according to another survey by the University of Michigan. The prospect of high inflation is very unfavorable for US household consumption, since in the US, wages are only very partially indexed to prices. Therefore, under these circumstances, it is not surprising that US consumer confidence about the economic situation in six months has collapsed, according to The Conference Board survey, with the confidence index dropping to 73, compared to 85 at the end of 2024. Furthermore, inflation expectations are being reinforced by the fight against illegal immigration (even though, under Joe Biden's presidency, net migration reached 1.5 million people per year). This has led to a slowdown in household consumption: Its annual growth fell from 4% in the fourth quarter of 2024 to 1.8% in the first quarter of 2025. Over the same periods, the growth in goods production dropped from 6.2% to 0.5%. Backtracking It is likely that these growth-damaging policies will be loosened. Tariffs on US imports of electronics and automotive parts have already been removed. Donald Trump has reduced tariffs on US imports from China from 145% to 30%. The decline in the US president's popularity in polls, as well as his inability to implement economic policies favorable to the US economy, should lead to more backtracking. In the US, immigrants are, on average, more highly educated than native-born Americans. Proportionally, they create nearly twice as many businesses. Foreign-born residents make up 14.3% of the population, but 23.6% of entrepreneurs and 23.6% of employees in technology, engineering, and science. As with tariffs, Trump's anti-immigration policy does not appear sustainable.

Crude sinks as Trump delays decision on Iran strike
Crude sinks as Trump delays decision on Iran strike

France 24

time2 days ago

  • France 24

Crude sinks as Trump delays decision on Iran strike

Speculation had been swirling that Trump would throw his lot in with Israel, but on Thursday he said he would decide "within the next two weeks" whether to involve the United States, giving diplomacy a shot to end the hostilities. While tensions are sky high amid fears of an escalation, the US president's remarks suggested the crisis could be prevented from spiralling into all-out war between the Middle East foes. Since Israel first hit Iran last Friday, the two have exchanged deadly strikes and apocalyptic warnings, though observers said the conflict has not seen a critical escalation. European foreign ministers were due to meet their Iranian counterpart on Friday in Geneva. In a statement read out by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, the president said: "Based on the fact that there's a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks." Leavitt added: "If there's a chance for diplomacy the president's always going to grab it, but he's not afraid to use strength as well." Both main oil contracts were down around two percent Friday but uncertainty prevailed and traders remained nervous. "Crude still calls the shots, and volatility's the devil in the room -- and every trader on the street knows we're two headlines away from chaos," said Stephen Innes at SPI Asset Management. "Make no mistake: we're trading a geopolitical powder keg with a lit fuse. "President Trump's two-week 'thinking window' on whether to join Israel's war against Iran is no cooling-off period -- it's a ticking volatility clock." Stocks were mixed following a public holiday in New York, with Hong Kong, Taipei, Mumbai and Bangkok all up with London, Paris and Frankfurt. Seoul's Kospi led the gains, rising more than one percent to break 3,000 points for the first time in nearly three and a half years. The index has risen every day except one since the June 4 election of a new president, which ended months of political crisis and fuelled hopes for an economic rebound. Tokyo fell as Japanese core inflation accelerated, stoked by a doubling in the cost of rice, a hot topic issue that poses a threat to Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba ahead of elections next month. There were also losses in Shanghai, Sydney, Singapore, Manila and Jakarta. The Middle East crisis continues to absorb most of the news but Trump's trade war remains a major obstacle for investors as the end of a 90-day pause on his April 2 tariff blitz approaches with few governments reaching deals to avert them being imposed. "While the worst of the tariffs have been paused, we suspect it won't be until those deadlines approach that new agreements may be finalised," said David Sekera, chief US market strategist at Morningstar. "Until then, as news emerges regarding the progress and substance of trade negotiations, these headlines could have an outsize positive or negative impact on markets." Key figures at around 0715 GMT Brent North Sea Crude: DOWN 2.6 percent at $76.85 per barrel Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.2 percent at 38,403.23 (close) Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 0.1 percent at 3,359.90 (close) London - FTSE 100: UP 0.3 percent at 8,819.26 Euro/dollar: UP at $1.1517 from $1.1463 on Thursday Pound/dollar: UP at $1.3467 from $1.3429 Dollar/yen: DOWN at 145.38 yen from 145.63 yen Euro/pound: UP at 85.51 pence from 85.36 pence © 2025 AFP

EU increasingly resigned to 10% baseline tariff in US trade talks, European sources say
EU increasingly resigned to 10% baseline tariff in US trade talks, European sources say

Fashion Network

time3 days ago

  • Fashion Network

EU increasingly resigned to 10% baseline tariff in US trade talks, European sources say

European officials are increasingly resigned to a 10% rate on "reciprocal" tariffs, which are the baseline in any trade deal between the United States and the European Union, five sources familiar with the negotiations said. President Donald Trump has imposed broad tariffs on U.S. trade partners in an effort to reduce the trade deficit in goods with the EU. U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has ruled out going below a 10% baseline rate for the so-called reciprocal tariffs that cover most goods the EU exports to the U.S. European sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks, said EU negotiators are still pressing for the rate to be lower than 10%. However, one of the sources, an EU official, said negotiating the level down had become harder since the U.S. started drawing revenues from its global tariffs. "The 10% rate has become a sticking point. We are applying pressure, but now they're collecting revenue," said the official. A second European source said the EU had not accepted 10% as the baseline rate at talks but acknowledged that it would be difficult to change or abolish that baseline. A spokesperson for the European Commission, the EU's executive body that negotiates trade deals for the 27-nation bloc, did not respond to a Reuters request for comment. The U.S. government also did not immediately comment. The EU has publicly said it will not settle for a double-digit baseline rate—as did Britain, which agreed to a limited trade deal in May that retains 10% tariffs on British exports while cutting higher rates for steel and cars. Trump has hit Europe with a 50% tariff on steel and aluminum, and a 25% levy on cars. The EU is trying to secure a deal before July 9, when reciprocal tariffs on most other goods could rise from 10% to up to 50%. With an annual trade surplus of $236 billion with the U.S. in 2024, the EU has more to lose from tariffs than non-EU member Britain, which runs a trade deficit with the U.S. Trump, who has said he plans to use tariff revenues to fund his sweeping tax cuts and spending package, stated on Tuesday that the EU was not offering a fair deal. Washington has sought to fold non-tariff barriers—such as digital services taxes, corporate sustainability reporting rules, LNG sales, and food standards—into the talks. The U.S. posted a $258 billion budget surplus for April, up 23% from a year earlier, and the Treasury Department said net customs duties in April more than doubled compared to the same period last year. Tariff impact Since early April, the sweeping tariffs imposed by Trump and the subsequent pauses on some of them have generated upheaval for companies worldwide, causing some to withdraw or refrain from giving financial guidance. European automakers have been hit hard. Mercedes pulled its earnings guidance, Stellantis suspended its guidance and Volvo Cars withdrew its earnings forecasts for the next two years. One European car executive said premium carmakers could stomach a 10% tariff but that it would be much tougher for a mass-market producer. The U.S. imposed tariffs on steel, aluminum, cars, and car parts on national security grounds. Ongoing investigations into pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, timber, and trucks could trigger further duties, which EU officials say they will not accept. Trump said on Tuesday that pharma tariffs were "coming very soon." A pharma industry source said the European Commission was resisting sector-specific tariffs. The Commission has told the pharma industry that while it does not want the 10% baseline reciprocal tariffs, accepting a 10% base tariff may provide leverage in those negotiations, the source said. A European beverage industry source said the wine and spirits sector would rather have a deal at 10% than protracted negotiations. "Whether it's 0% or 10%, if applied both ways, it's manageable. It won't kill business," said Rob van Gils, CEO of Austrian company Hammerer Aluminium Industries. "Not securing a deal would have a huge negative impact on our market." One EU official said a 10% baseline rate would "not massively erode competitive positions, especially if others receive the same treatment." Based in Brussels, France Industries represents France's biggest companies, including L'Oréal and Airbus. The group said tariffs should not be viewed in isolation. "It's an additional burden on top of rising energy prices, inflation, regulatory pressure and global overcapacity," said its head, Alexandre Saubot. ($1 = 0.8672 euros)

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store