We recently compiled a list of the . In this article, we are going to take a look at where Lululemon Athletica Inc. (NASDAQ:LULU) stands against the other retail stocks.
The rise of tech and artificial intelligence (AI) in the past few years has had an impact not only on the tech sector but on the entire market. The retail sector is no stranger to this impact, with analysts now considering tech-enabled innovation as one of the core drivers in the growth of the retail sector. As a result, those retailers that are taking the tech expansion seriously and are making investments to incorporate new technology in their operations are finally beginning to catch the market's attention.
On June 24, Simeon Gutman, analyst at Morgan Stanley, joined to discuss the impact of tech and AI on retailers and how these companies are making use of tech to drive up profit margins. Here are some of his comments on the retail companies to keep an eye on in this respect: "Walmart's the one that comes to mind the first..
. with Walmart, you're hitting the nail on the head with several of these aspects of tech diffusion, and on top of it, they're gaining market share in terms of tech diffusion. AI is easily one of them, big scale, lot of data, lot of opportunity to go through their data and enhance both the frontend of their business, drive more sales to customers, make things easier, and improve the backend.
" According to Gutman, big-box retailers are the sector's winners when it comes to incorporating innovative tech in their internal operations. Because of such innovation in retail, and its consequent impact resulting in increased profit margins for retailers, there may be room to argue that retail is fast making a comeback in the market. According to the WTW Global Retail Survey for 2024, 52% of retailers this year generally expect higher profitability within two years.
Additionally, more retailers today (48%) are looking to incorporate artificial intelligence in their operations to offer personalized shopping experiences to their customers. However, the rise of tech and AI in the sector has also resulted in some retailers (43%) voicing concerns about higher cybersecurity risks arising through a greater reliance on new technologies. Despite the risks involved, most retailers today are heading towards AI incorporation to meet customers' demands.
According to the survey, AI is primarily favored by online-only and electronic retailers because of its potential for catalyzing growth. By helping retailers automate their processes and supply chain operations, AI and new technologies can enable retailers to deliver personalized experiences and recommendations to their customers. This is an exceptionally important feature in today's market, with consumers becoming more reliant on new technologies and their benefits in everyday life.
We sifted through ETFs and online rankings to compile a list of 25 retail stocks. We also used the Finviz stock screener to double check we didn't miss any popular stocks. For this list, we have considered apparel retailers, discount stores, department stores, and home improvement retailers.
We selected and ranked 10 stocks, from our initial pool of 25, that were the most popular among institutional investors. The stocks are ranked in ascending order of the number of hedge funds holding stakes in them. Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds.
Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points. ( ). A store employee in an athletic apparel store restocking merchandise.
Lululemon Athletica Inc. (NASDAQ: ) Lululemon Athletica Inc. (NASDAQ:LULU) is an apparel, accessories, and luxury goods company based in Vancouver, Canada.
The company designs and retails athletic apparel, footwear, and accessories. In the first quarter, sales for Lululemon Athletica Inc. (NASDAQ:LULU) rose by 10%.
The company benefits from its innovation in the apparel and footwear space, which ensures that it keeps up with the competition. Additionally, Lululemon Athletica Inc. (NASDAQ:LULU) distributes its products through a mixed approach using e-commerce and company-operated physical stores, which aid in reaching greater consumer bases and raising sales.
At the end of the first quarter, 51 hedge funds were long Lululemon Athletica Inc. (NASDAQ:LULU). Their total stake value in the company was $842.
9 million. As of June 6, Stifel analysts hold a Buy rating on Lululemon Athletica Inc. (NASDAQ:LULU).
The consensus average price target on the stock is $410.4 as of June 28, with a high forecast of $505, showing immense upside potential. was the largest shareholder in Lululemon Athletica Inc.
(NASDAQ:LULU) at the end of the first quarter, holding 1.1 million shares in the company. mentioned Lululemon Athletica Inc.
(NASDAQ:LULU) in its first-quarter 2024 investor : “ (NASDAQ:LULU) designs, distributes and retails athletic apparel and accessories. The company reported financial results that were ahead of estimates, but forward guidance came in slightly below what investors expected. The stock posted lackluster performance as the market priced in expectations that Lululemon’s U.
S. business will slow down a bit more than initially anticipated.” Overall LULU on our list of the best retail stocks to buy.
You can visit to see the other retail stocks that are on hedge funds’ radar. While we acknowledge the potential for LULU as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than LULU but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the .
Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey..
