W.G. Shaheen & Associates DBA Whitney & Co Sells 9,047 Shares of lululemon athletica inc. $LULU

Key Points

• W.G. Shaheen & Associates (Whitney & Co) cut its LULU stake by 32.6% in Q4, selling 9,047 shares and retaining 18,719 shares worth about $3.89 million.
• Insider activity was mixed: CEO Andre Maestrini bought 3,275 shares (a 10.47% increase in his stake) while insider Nicole Neuburger sold 622 shares; institutional ownership stands high at 85.2%.
• Operationally Lululemon beat March-quarter EPS and revenue estimates but showed flat sales and lower y/y EPS, and analysts have trimmed price targets amid a founder-led proxy fight that raises governance and near-term uncertainty; consensus rating is "Hold."

W.G. Shaheen & Associates DBA Whitney & Co reduced its stake in lululemon athletica inc. (NASDAQ:LULU - Free Report) by 32.6% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 18,719 shares of the apparel retailer's stock after selling 9,047 shares during the period. W.G. Shaheen & Associates DBA Whitney & Co's holdings in lululemon athletica were worth $3,890,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of LULU. MGO One Seven LLC raised its holdings in lululemon athletica by 4.5% in the third quarter. MGO One Seven LLC now owns 1,340 shares of the apparel retailer's stock worth $238,000 after buying an additional 58 shares during the last quarter. Davis Investment Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of lululemon athletica by 2.9% during the fourth quarter. Davis Investment Partners LLC now owns 2,064 shares of the apparel retailer's stock valued at $435,000 after purchasing an additional 58 shares during the last quarter. Greenleaf Trust raised its holdings in shares of lululemon athletica by 2.7% during the third quarter. Greenleaf Trust now owns 2,319 shares of the apparel retailer's stock valued at $413,000 after purchasing an additional 62 shares during the last quarter. NorthRock Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of lululemon athletica by 4.2% during the third quarter. NorthRock Partners LLC now owns 1,553 shares of the apparel retailer's stock valued at $276,000 after purchasing an additional 62 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cornerstone Planning Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of lululemon athletica by 81.9% during the third quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 151 shares of the apparel retailer's stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 68 shares during the last quarter. 85.20% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Nicole Neuburger sold 622 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.00, for a total transaction of $100,142.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 19,156 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,084,116. This represents a 3.14% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Andre Maestrini bought 3,275 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 1st. The shares were bought at an average price of $151.02 per share, with a total value of $494,590.50. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 34,551 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,217,892.02. The trade was a 10.47% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.54% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

lululemon athletica Price Performance

LULU opened at $138.16 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $16.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.39, a PEG ratio of 4.51 and a beta of 1.07. lululemon athletica inc. has a 1-year low of $136.91 and a 1-year high of $340.25. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $163.04 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $177.68.

lululemon athletica (NASDAQ:LULU - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, March 17th. The apparel retailer reported $5.01 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $4.78 by $0.23. lululemon athletica had a net margin of 14.22% and a return on equity of 34.82%. The firm had revenue of $3.64 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.59 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $6.14 earnings per share. lululemon athletica's revenue for the quarter was up .0% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts anticipate that lululemon athletica inc. will post 12.31 earnings per share for the current year.

Key Headlines Impacting lululemon athletica

Here are the key news stories impacting lululemon athletica this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Board refresh: lululemon added Esi Eggleston Bracey, a former Unilever growth/marketing executive, signaling continued board renewal that could help strategic marketing and international growth execution. lululemon Announces Appointment of Esi Eggleston Bracey to Board of Directors
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent results were mixed: the March quarter beat EPS and revenue estimates but showed lower EPS y/y and flat sales growth, leaving questions about sustainable top-line momentum even as profitability remains solid. lululemon Leans on International: But What About Margins?
• Negative Sentiment: Proxy fight and governance concerns from founder Chip Wilson: Wilson released a shareholder letter and a definitive proxy, urging votes for his nominees and criticizing recent CEO and board decisions as evidence of “broken governance.” That public campaign is increasing investor uncertainty. Chip Wilson Issues Letter to lululemon Shareholders
• Negative Sentiment: Founder implicated in advising rivals: filings and media reporting show Wilson advised competing brands (Alo, Vuori), which the company disclosed and which raises questions about conflicts and strategy while the company faces slowing growth. Lululemon founder has advised company rivals
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst pressure and valuation reset: Jefferies cut its price target to $145 and kept a Hold rating, reflecting weaker near-term outlook and contributing to the stock's downside. Jefferies adjusts price target on lululemon athletica to $145

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently weighed in on LULU. Bank of America decreased their price objective on shares of lululemon athletica from $220.00 to $200.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on shares of lululemon athletica from $209.00 to $196.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, March 18th. Citigroup decreased their price objective on shares of lululemon athletica from $210.00 to $185.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Monday, March 23rd. Telsey Advisory Group cut their target price on shares of lululemon athletica from $215.00 to $175.00 and set a "market perform" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, March 18th. Finally, Barclays cut their target price on shares of lululemon athletica from $203.00 to $161.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, March 18th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating, twenty-eight have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $205.34.

About lululemon athletica

lululemon athletica inc. is a design-focused athletic apparel company known for performance-oriented apparel, footwear and accessories. The company's product portfolio centers on technical apparel for yoga, running, training and everyday active lifestyle use and includes tops, bottoms, outerwear, underwear, bags and a growing footwear assortment. lululemon emphasizes fabric science and product innovation, marketing garments that blend performance features with lifestyle styling.

Products are developed in-house and produced through a network of third-party manufacturers.

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