LIVE
NKE
NIKE, Inc. · Consumer Discretionary
$45.20
+6.55% this month
VERSUS
⟷
COMPARE
LULU
lululemon athletica inc. · Consumer Discretionary
$111.77
-6.25% this month
Scoreboard verdict
Across AI score, momentum, valuation, upside, operating margin
NKE
2
LULU
2
Comparison scoreboard
MIXED SETUPAI Score
NKE 27.7
LULU ✓36.3
1Y Return
NKE ✓-24.67%
LULU -51.12%
Fwd P/E
NKE 24.74
LULU ✓9.77
Target Up.
NKE ✓+32.62%
LULU +18.24%
Op. Margin
NKE 6.94%
LULU N/A
Metrics last refreshed: 6/20/2026
Quick take
NKE vs LULU Stock Comparison: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
Nike and Lululemon are both athletic lifestyle brands, but Nike is a global mega-cap with massive wholesale distribution and a brand built on decades of athlete marketing, while Lululemon is a premium DTC retailer with higher margins and a more focused product category. Nike is the scale play; Lululemon is the margin quality play.
The choice between Nike and Lululemon is between a global-scale brand in the midst of a strategic reset (NKE) and a premium DTC compounder with high margins and international expansion runway (LULU) — NKE offers more recovery upside; LULU offers more consistent quality.
Live analysis · updated 6/20/2026
NKE and LULU are closely matched — they split the tracked metrics evenly. NKE has delivered stronger 1-year price return (-24.67% vs -51.12%), though LULU trades at the lower forward P/E (9.77x vs 24.74x). Analyst consensus implies meaningfully more upside for NKE (+32.62%) than for LULU (+18.24%).
Normalized 1Y performance
NKE
LULU
Recent returns
NKE
LULU
Analyst price targets & sentiment
NKE · 36 analysts
STRONG BUYHOLDSTRONG SELL
Buy (2.3/5.0)
Price target range
analyst low$40.00
analyst high$120.00
analyst mean$59.58
current price$45.20
+32.6% upside to analyst mean
LULU · 25 analysts
STRONG BUYHOLDSTRONG SELL
Hold (3.0/5.0)
Price target range
analyst low$88.00
analyst high$280.00
analyst mean$132.16
current price$111.77
+18.2% upside to analyst mean
Who should consider this stock?
NKE may suit investors who:
- →want global brand scale across sports, fashion, and culture at a discounted valuation post-reset
- →believe Nike's wholesale recalibration and DTC investment will rebuild margin profile
- →value the Jordan brand as a separately highly valuable franchise within Nike
- →are willing to wait through a multi-year strategic turnaround for a higher-quality business
LULU may suit investors who:
- →prefer premium athletic apparel with high margins driven by a DTC-first retail model
- →value the international growth runway, particularly in China, as a multi-year revenue compounder
- →want a brand with strong consumer loyalty reducing promotional pricing risk
- →are comfortable with premium entry valuation for a higher-quality margin profile
Performance & AI score
| Metric | NKE | LULU |
|---|---|---|
| AI score | 27.7 | 36.3 |
| AI rank | #2469 | #1514 |
| Latest close | $45.20 | $111.77 |
| 1M return | +6.55% | -6.25% |
| 6M return | -31.19% | -46.23% |
| 1Y return | -24.67% | -51.12% |
$10,000 invested — hypothetical growth (dividends reinvested)
How much would $10,000 be worth today if invested at the start of each period, with all dividends reinvested?
| Period | NKE | LULU |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $7.6K (-24.0%) started 2025-06-18 | $4.89K (-51.1%) started 2025-06-18 |
| 5Y ago | $3.84K (-61.6%) started 2021-06-21 | $3.22K (-67.8%) started 2021-06-18 |
| 10Y ago | $10.29K (+2.9%) started 2016-06-20 | $15.57K (+55.7%) started 2016-06-20 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
Valuation & upside potential
| Metric | NKE | LULU |
|---|---|---|
| Market cap | $66.54B | $12.69B |
| Trailing P/E | 29.56 | 9.05 |
| Forward P/E | 24.74 | 9.77 |
| Price/Sales | 1.94 | 1.13 |
| EV/Revenue | 1.50 | 1.23 |
| Analyst target | $59.58 | $132.16 |
| Target upside | +32.62% | +18.24% |
Growth, profitability & risk
| Metric | NKE | LULU |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth | 0.10% | 4.30% |
| Earnings growth | -34.80% | -35.00% |
| EPS growth | -34.80% | -35.00% |
| FCF margin | +2.82% | +10.12% |
| Operating margin | 6.94% | N/A |
| Profit margin | 4.84% | 13.03% |
| ROIC proxy | 16.02% | 32.03% |
| Return on equity | 16.02% | 32.03% |
| Dividend yield | 3.65% | 0.00% |
| Beta | 1.12 | 0.86 |
| Debt/equity | 79.33 | 44.26 |
| Current ratio | 2.14 | 2.23 |
| Quick ratio | 1.24 | 0.94 |
Drawdown & downside risk
Lower drawdown and smaller single-period drops generally indicate a smoother ride, though they do not guarantee lower future risk.
1Y risk snapshot
NKE max drawdown47.15%
LULU max drawdown54.88%
NKE max wkly drop18.35%
LULU max wkly drop19.56%
5Y risk snapshot
NKE max drawdown75.26%
LULU max drawdown78.14%
NKE max wkly drop22.44%
LULU max wkly drop25.32%
10Y risk snapshot
NKE max drawdown75.26%
LULU max drawdown78.14%
NKE max wkly drop22.44%
LULU max wkly drop30.43%
Performance metrics by period
| Period | Metric | NKE | LULU |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growth | -24.05% | -51.12% |
| CAGR | -24.08% | -51.14% | |
| Sharpe ratio | -0.65 | -1.49 | |
| Max drawdown | 47.15% | 54.88% | |
| Max daily drop | 15.51% | 18.58% | |
| Max wkly drop | 18.35% | 19.56% | |
| 5Y | Growth | -63.51% | -67.84% |
| CAGR | -18.28% | -20.30% | |
| Sharpe ratio | -0.51 | -0.43 | |
| Max drawdown | 75.26% | 78.14% | |
| Max daily drop | 19.98% | 19.80% | |
| Max wkly drop | 22.44% | 25.32% | |
| 10Y | Growth | -7.74% | +55.71% |
| CAGR | -0.80% | +4.53% | |
| Sharpe ratio | -0.00 | 0.20 | |
| Max drawdown | 75.26% | 78.14% | |
| Max daily drop | 19.98% | 23.44% | |
| Max wkly drop | 22.44% | 30.43% |
Business comparison
| Category | NKE | LULU |
|---|---|---|
| Company | NIKE, Inc. | lululemon athletica inc. |
| Sector | Consumer Cyclical | Consumer Discretionary |
| Industry | Footwear & Accessories | N/A |
| Core business | Nike is the world's largest athletic footwear and apparel company, with the Swoosh brand spanning performance sports, lifestyle, and streetwear. Revenue comes primarily from wholesale (Foot Locker, Dick's, global retailers) and its own direct-to-consumer channels (Nike.com and Nike stores). Nike's business model depends on signing high-profile athlete endorsements (LeBron, Serena, Ronaldo), launching limited-edition drops that create cultural relevance, and licensing the Swoosh across massive global distribution. | Lululemon is a premium athletic apparel brand focused on yoga, running, and fitness lifestyle, selling primarily through its own retail stores and e-commerce platform. Its vertically integrated, direct-to-consumer model generates significantly higher margins than wholesale-reliant competitors. The community-driven retail strategy — with in-store events, ambassador programs, and experiential retail — creates brand loyalty that supports premium pricing. International expansion into China and EMEA is an active growth driver. |
| Investor focus | Investors track direct-to-consumer revenue as a percentage of total (higher margins than wholesale), China recovery trajectory, footwear innovation cycle timing (Jordan brand refresh, performance running), and operating margin recovery after inventory destocking. | Investors track same-store sales growth (indicating brand health), international revenue growth (particularly China), men's category expansion, and gross margin sustainability given its premium positioning and DTC model. |
NKE strengths
- →Unmatched global brand equity in athletic footwear making Nike the default choice across sports and culture
- →Jordan brand is a multi-billion dollar lifestyle franchise with limited-edition cultural relevance
- →China represents a large recovering market with middle-class athletic spending growth
LULU strengths
- →Vertically integrated DTC model generates 50%+ gross margins versus mass-market competitors
- →Community retail strategy builds brand loyalty and reduces reliance on paid advertising
- →International markets (particularly China) represent a significant underpenetrated growth runway
Risks to watch — NKE
- →Wholesale channel destocking and inventory corrections have compressed near-term revenue
- →Increasing competition from On Running, New Balance, and Hoka in performance running
- →China operations are subject to geopolitical tensions and local competitive pressure from Anta and Li-Ning
Risks to watch — LULU
- →Premium pricing leaves Lululemon exposed to consumer spending slowdowns and trading down
- →US same-store sales have decelerated from pandemic-era highs as the addressable market matures
- →Mirror fitness hardware investment proved unsuccessful and was eventually divested
Frequently asked questions
Free public comparison
Want deeper AI forecasts?
This comparison page is public and free forever. Subscribers can unlock saved watchlists, full AI rankings, detailed forecasts, and interactive analysis tools.
Related comparisons
More comparisons
Browse all 1,000 comparisons →