LULU vs NKE Stock Comparison
LULU currently leads NKE in this stock comparison, with AIQ scores of 66 vs 61. The clearest difference is quality, while NKE has the stronger momentum profile.
What is the main difference between LULU and NKE?
LULU leads the current stock comparison as Lululemon Athletica Inc., with the clearest separation coming from quality and the broader AIQ evidence mix.
AlgovestIQ AIQ Comparison
Lululemon Athletica Inc. vs NIKE, Inc.
LULU leads
LULU leads by 5 AIQ points, primarily on Quality and Value, but the lead has narrowed from 9 points over 30 sessions. Wall Street currently favors NKE on target upside.
Fragile: 3 of 6 evidence groups support LULU, its lead is narrowing, and its current signal state is conflicted.
Lululemon Athletica Inc.
NIKE, Inc.
The Algovestiq AIQ Score currently favors LULU over NKE, 66 versus 61 as of Oct 21, 2026. LULU's advantage is driven primarily by stronger quality and value, while NKE holds the stronger momentum profile. LULU also shows the weaker technical structure relative to its 50-day moving average, though analyst target upside currently favors NKE. 3 of 6 covered evidence groups favor LULU today, and the comparison is rated Fragile on stability: the AIQ gap is narrow at 5 points. LULU lead: Weakening — the AIQ differential moved from 9 to 5 points over 30 sessions.
Compare Lululemon Athletica Inc. and NIKE, Inc. across the Algovestiq AIQ Score, valuation, quality, momentum, risk, technicals and analyst expectations.
Performance over time
Total return with distributions reinvested, from daily closes.
Total return comparison
Growth of $10,000, distributions reinvested
Split-adjusted closes; each distribution is reinvested at the close on its ex-dividend date. Taxes and trading costs are not modeled.
Compare LULU and NKE against another ticker
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AIQ Factor Divergence
Where the two separate, on the four dimensions behind the AIQ Score. Bars read outward from a shared zero: further from the centre is a wider gap.
- Quality80 vs 60LULU +20
- Momentum54 vs 73NKE +19
- Value63 vs 50LULU +13
- Risk Resilience64 vs 65Even
3 of 6 evidence groups favor LULU. LULU’s edge is concentrated in quality and value; NKE keeps a meaningful momentum edge.
What changed since the last close
Latest scored session 2026-10-20, compared against the prior scored session 2026-10-19.
Largest factor move: Momentum +7
No signal started or stopped since the prior session; its 4 active signals are unchanged.
Largest factor move: Momentum +20
New signals
- BB Upper Band Breach — bearish, volatility, short horizon
- Keltner Channel Breakout — bullish, volatility, short horizon
LULU's lead narrowed by 3 AIQ points in the latest session.
Deeper signal detail for each name lives on its own signals page — LULU and NKE both carry a full feed there.
The central trade-off
LULU (Lululemon Athletica Inc.): the stronger current systematic profile, led by quality and value.
NKE (NIKE, Inc.): the counter-case, on momentum, technicals, analyst expectations.
The AIQ Score and Wall Street therefore point in different directions on this pair.
Which one fits your objective
The same two names rank differently depending on what you are optimizing for. All six reads are shown at once — none of them is hidden behind a toggle.
Balanced
LULULULU on the overall AIQ Score, which weights Quality and Value most heavily.
Growth
NKENKE on combined revenue and EPS growth.
Value
LULULULU on the peer-relative Value factor, by 13 points.
Momentum
NKENKE on the Momentum factor, by 19 points.
Lower downside
NKENKE carries the lower 1-month annualized volatility.
Analyst upside
NKENKE on implied upside to the consensus price target.
AIQ vs Wall Street
The model and the Street disagree here: AIQ favors LULU, analyst targets favor NKE. That disagreement is the most useful thing on this page.
| Measure | LULU | NKE | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Implied upside to target | +11.9% | +15.2% | NKE has more room |
| Target dispersion | +69.4% | +129.6% | Lower is tighter analyst agreement |
| Consensus | Hold | Hold | Context, not a primary driver |
| Analysts covering | 12 | 23 | Higher coverage generally improves confidence |
The two are measuring different things. The AIQ Score reads current fundamentals, valuation, trend and risk; analyst targets price forward expectations. A divergence of this kind is either a contrarian opportunity or a sign the model is missing something already priced in — it is worth resolving before acting on either.
Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions. Dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.
AIQ Agreement Matrix
3 of 6 covered evidence groups favor LULU. A wide gap backed by one group is a weaker case than a narrow gap backed by five.
| Evidence group | Favors | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| AIQ Score | LULU | 66 vs 61 |
| Fundamentals | LULUon balance | revenue growth -32.1% vs -2.7%; EPS growth -66% vs 105.7%; TTM ROE 31.3% vs 22%; gross margin 55.7% vs 42.9%; operating margin 18.2% vs 8.2% — LULU takes 3 of 5 decided legs, not all of them |
| Valuation | LULU | Value 63 vs 50 |
| Technicals | NKE | Price vs 50-day -8.6% vs 0.4%; vs 200-day -27.6% vs -20.6% |
| Risk Resilience | Even | Risk Resilience 64 vs 65 |
| Analyst expectations | NKE | Target upside 11.9% vs 15.2% |
✓ agrees with the overall verdict · ✕ points the other way. Groups marked “not covered” lack data on one or both of LULU and NKE and are excluded from the count.
AIQ Decision Stability
The conclusion is sensitive to small changes. Treat the lead as provisional and watch the flip conditions below.
- The AIQ gap is narrow at 5 points. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- Only 3 of 6 covered evidence groups agree. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- The leader's advantage has been narrowing. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- The lead has been steady session to session. (supports the conclusion holding)
- The leader is throwing conflicting signals. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- Analyst targets on the leader are widely dispersed. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
Stability combines the score gap, how broadly the evidence agrees, how steady the lead has been across daily snapshots, the current signal state on both names, and analyst dispersion on LULU.
How the comparison changed
120 daily snapshots · Jun 21 – Oct 20LULU lead: Weakening — the AIQ differential moved from 9 to 5 points over 30 sessions.
- Today
- LULU +5
- 66 vs 61
- 7 sessions ago
- LULU +7
- 62 vs 55
- 30 sessions ago
- LULU +9
- 60 vs 51
- 90 sessions ago
- LULU +11
- 60 vs 49
The lead has not changed hands in this window.
AIQ Signal Divergence
Only the signals that bear on the head-to-head. A conflicted name is carrying bullish and bearish rules at the same time — the technical evidence is not pointing one way.
1 bullish / 2 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted
Only LULU
- ATR Expansion - Breakout Mode — neutral, volatility, short horizon (3.52%)
- Downtrend Structure Active — bearish, trend, long horizon
2 bullish / 2 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted
Only NKE
- Bollinger Band Squeeze — neutral, volatility, short horizon
- BB Upper Band Breach — bearish, volatility, short horizon
- Keltner Channel Breakout — bullish, volatility, short horizon
Both carry 2 more signals that do not separate them: Death Cross Active, MACD Bullish Crossover.
LULU leads the comparison while carrying a conflicted signal state, which is one reason the stability rating is not higher.
Price vs model alignment
Whether the latest session's price move confirms what the model did over the same session, or contradicts it.
Price is down while the AIQ Score moved up 2 points over the same session — price and model disagree (price -3.41%, AIQ +2 points).
Price is down while the AIQ Score moved up 5 points over the same session — price and model disagree (price -0.92%, AIQ +5 points).
What would flip this result
A state, not a forecast. These are the specific, observable changes that would reverse the verdict — not a price prediction.
- 1NKE closes the Quality gap — currently 20 points behind, the largest single contributor to LULU's edge.
- 2NKE's Death Cross Active resolves — a bearish trend rule currently active against it.
- 3LULU's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 1 bullish and 2 bearish rules at once.
- 4The narrowing continues — the lead has already given back 4 points over 30 sessions, and a further 5-point move would eliminate LULU's advantage entirely.
The full evidence
Every number behind the verdict. The leader is called above each group so you are not left to solve it from the table.
Fundamentals
LULU leads on balance| Metric | LULU | NKE |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth (YoY) | -32.1% | -2.7% |
| EPS growth (YoY) | -66% | 105.7% |
| Gross margin | 55.7% | 42.9% |
| Operating margin | 18.2% | 8.2% |
| Return on equity (TTM) | 31.3% | 22% |
| Debt to equity | 0.44 | 0.74 |
Performance
NKE leads 5 of 6 windows| Metric | LULU | NKE |
|---|---|---|
| 1 week (5 sessions) | 5.9% | 7.2% |
| 1 month (20 sessions) | -3.7% | 4.9% |
| 3 months (63 sessions) | -11.8% | -10.3% |
| 6 months (126 sessions) | -40% | -18.3% |
| Year to date | -51.9% | -40.5% |
| 1 year (252 sessions) | -39.3% | -43.3% |
Technicals
NKE has the stronger structure| Metric | LULU | NKE |
|---|---|---|
| RSI (14) | 60.2 | 69.9 |
| ADX (14) | 23.8 | 24.9 |
| Price vs 50-day | -8.6% | 0.4% |
| Price vs 200-day | -27.6% | -20.6% |
| Volatility (1M, annualized) | 29.8% | 28% |
Risk
Split| Metric | LULU | NKE |
|---|---|---|
| Beta | 1.26 | 0.6 |
| Sharpe ratio | -1 | -1.54 |
| Sortino ratio | -1.26 | -1.99 |
| Max drawdown | -57.4% | -51.4% |
| Current drawdown | -53.7% | -45.6% |
| Annualized volatility | 45.3% | 35.8% |
| Value at risk (95%) | -4.2% | -3.1% |
Straight answers
Each answer is regenerated from the current snapshot, not written once and left to age.
Which is better, LULU or NKE?
On the Algovestiq AIQ Score, LULU is the stronger of the two as of Oct 21, 2026, scoring 66 against NKE's 61. The edge comes from quality and value. NKE is not without a case — it holds the better momentum profile, which matters more if that is the objective you are optimizing for. This is a systematic score, not a recommendation: it ranks the two on the same evidence, it does not know your holding period or tax position.
Is LULU or NKE the better buy right now?
LULU carries the stronger systematic profile as of Oct 21, 2026, and the comparison is rated Fragile — 3 of 6 covered evidence groups agree. A Fragile rating means the conclusion is sensitive: the AIQ gap is narrow at 5 points. Treat the lead as provisional.
Why does the AIQ Score favor LULU over NKE?
The composite weights Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk Resilience. LULU leads Quality by 20 points; NKE leads Momentum by 19 points; LULU leads Value by 13 points. Where the two split, the factor with the larger weight carries the result.
Which has more analyst upside, LULU or NKE?
Analyst price targets imply +11.9% upside for LULU and +15.2% for NKE, so the Street currently favors NKE. That points the opposite way to the AIQ Score, which favors LULU. The two are measuring different things: the model reads current fundamentals, valuation, trend and risk; the Street is pricing forward expectations. A divergence of this kind is either a contrarian opportunity or a sign the model is missing something the analysts have already priced — it is the single most useful row on this page to investigate. Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions, and dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.
Which is better value, LULU or NKE?
LULU is the better-valued of the two on the peer-relative Value factor. LULU on the peer-relative Value factor, by 13 points. The Value factor reads valuation relative to sector peers and to the company's own fundamental quality, so it is not the same as simply having the lower multiple.
Which has stronger growth, LULU or NKE?
NKE on combined revenue and EPS growth. Growth here is measured on reported revenue and earnings, not on forward estimates — it describes what the businesses have delivered, not what the Street expects next.
Which has stronger momentum, LULU or NKE?
NKE on the Momentum factor, by 19 points. Momentum is one of the four weighted factors in the AIQ composite. It has documented persistence over three- to twelve-month horizons, which makes it a timing input rather than a reason to hold something indefinitely.
Which is riskier, LULU or NKE?
NKE is the more resilient of the two, so the other name carries the higher downside risk. NKE carries the lower 1-month annualized volatility. Risk Resilience is a weighted factor in the composite; position sizing usually responds to it more usefully than the buy/avoid decision does.
Is LULU more profitable than NKE?
LULU leads on the comparable margin measures — gross margin 55.7% vs 42.9%; operating margin 18.2% vs 8.2%; ttm roe 31.3% vs 22%.
Is LULU's lead over NKE getting stronger or weaker?
LULU lead: Weakening — the AIQ differential moved from 9 to 5 points over 30 sessions. This is measured from 120 daily comparison snapshots between 2026-06-21 and 2026-10-20. The lead has not changed hands in that window.
What would change the LULU vs NKE verdict?
The result is a state, not a forecast, so it changes when the underlying evidence changes. Concretely: NKE closes the Quality gap — currently 20 points behind, the largest single contributor to LULU's edge; NKE's Death Cross Active resolves — a bearish trend rule currently active against it; LULU's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 1 bullish and 2 bearish rules at once; the narrowing continues — the lead has already given back 4 points over 30 sessions, and a further 5-point move would eliminate LULU's advantage entirely.
What do the current signals say about LULU and NKE?
LULU: 1 bullish / 2 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted. NKE: 2 bullish / 2 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted. A conflicted state means bullish and bearish rules are active on the same name at once — the technical evidence is not pointing one way, and a decision taken on it carries more timing risk. The most decision-relevant rule on LULU is Death Cross Active (bearish, long horizon). On NKE it is Death Cross Active (bearish, long horizon).
Compare LULU and NKE with others
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How this comparison is scored
The Algovestiq AIQ Score composites four factors — Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk, each carrying a fixed weight. Sentiment is reported separately as SentimentPulse and is not folded into the composite. Scores refresh every trading day, and this page regenerates from the latest snapshot rather than being written once.
The verdict names a leader, states how broadly six independent evidence groups agree, and rates how durable that conclusion is given the score gap, its recent trajectory and the current signal state on both names.
How to use side-by-side comparison →This comparison is informational and educational, not investment advice. AIQ scores update daily; re-check after earnings, guidance or macro data that materially changes either name’s factor profile.