lululemon athletica inc. vs NIKE, Inc.. A side-by-side on valuation, growth, margins, returns, and what each price is betting.
Lululemon keeps 54 cents of every sales dollar as gross profit to Nike's 40, and that 14-point cushion is the cleanest line between them. It carries down: Lululemon nets 13% against Nike's 4.8%, earns 30% on equity to 16%, and does it with no debt and a 2.2 current ratio. The pricing inverts what the margins suggest, Lululemon at under 10 times earnings and Nike near 30, while Nike pays a 3.5% dividend and Lululemon pays none. The thinner-margin, slower brand is the one the market is willing to pay up for, betting Nike's scale reasserts itself.
Comparison updated 2026-06-15.
| Metric | LULU | NKE |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $119.23 | $44.39 |
| Market cap | $13.8B | $65.8B |
| Sector | Apparel | Footwear |
| Stage | Mature | Mature |
| Implied growth (priced in) | — | +17.9% |
| P/E | 9.7 | 29.4 |
| P/B | 2.85 | 4.67 |
| P/S | 1.23 | 1.41 |
| EV/EBITDA | 5.4 | 89.2 |
| Revenue growth | +4.7% | -2.5% |
| Gross margin | 54.2% | 40.2% |
| Operating margin | 11.2% | — |
| Net margin | 13.0% | 4.8% |
| Return on equity | 30.3% | 16.0% |
| Return on assets | 17.1% | 6.1% |
| Return on invested capital | 28.9% | — |
| FCF yield | 9.3% | 1.6% |
| Dividend yield | — | 3.5% |
| Debt / equity | 0.00 | 0.57 |
| Current ratio | 2.23 | 2.14 |
| Altman Z (solvency) | 4.67 | 7.63 |
| Piotroski F (quality) | 5 / 9 | 4 / 9 |
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The stronger value is highlighted per metric where one is strictly better on that single number; it is not an overall verdict on either company. For informational and research purposes only. Not investment advice. Not a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security. boothcheck is not a registered investment adviser. Past performance does not guarantee future results.