American Eagle Outfitters (AEO) vs lululemon athletica inc. (LULU)
Head-to-head comparison of performance, valuation, growth, profitability and dividends. Prices delayed 15 minutes; data as of Oct 9, 2026.
Summary
American Eagle Outfitters (AEO) has outperformed lululemon athletica inc. (LULU) over the past year, gaining 15.4% versus a loss of 47.0%. Over five years, AEO leads with a -26.6% price change compared with -77.0% for LULU. lululemon athletica inc. is the larger company by market cap ($10.95 billion vs $3.04 billion), about 3.6 times the size.
On valuation, American Eagle Outfitters trades at a lower forward P/E (9.5x vs 10.9x for lululemon athletica inc.). American Eagle Outfitters pays a dividend yielding 2.75%, while lululemon athletica inc. does not currently pay one. lululemon athletica inc. converts more of its revenue into profit, with a net margin of 14.2% versus 3.5%.
Summary generated from market data by MetaCap's automated system. Methodology
Relative performance
Percent change in share price from the first common trading day shown; excludes dividends.
Head-to-head
| Metric | AEO | LULU |
|---|---|---|
| Share price | $18.17 | $94.50 |
| Market cap | $3.04B | $10.95B |
| 1-day change | +1.82% | +1.96% |
| YTD return | -31.85% | -55.40% |
| 1-year return | +15.41% | -46.99% |
| 5-year return | -26.59% | -77.03% |
| P/E ratio (TTM) | 9.32 | 7.78 |
| Forward P/E | 9.45 | 10.89 |
| EPS (TTM) | $1.95 | $12.15 |
| Dividend yield | 2.75% | 0.00% |
| Annual dividend | $0.50 | $0.00 |
| Revenue (latest FY) | $5.55B | $11.10B |
| Revenue growth (YoY) | +4.10% | +4.86% |
| Net income (latest FY) | $191.98M | $1.58B |
| Gross margin | 36.51% | 56.60% |
| Operating margin | 4.08% | 19.91% |
| Net margin | 3.46% | 14.22% |
| 52-week high | $28.46 | $225.98 |
| 52-week low | $14.06 | $90.38 |
| Distance from 52-week high | -36.16% | -58.18% |
| Analyst consensus | hold | none |
| Avg. price target upside | +2.09% | +11.02% |
| Average volume | 5.63M | 4.74M |
| Shares outstanding | 167.57M | 105.59M |
| Employees | 10,000 | 39,000 |
| Sector | Consumer Discretionary | Consumer Discretionary |
| Industry | Clothing/Shoe/Accessory Stores | Apparel |
Highlighted cells mark the higher value for growth, returns, margins and yield, and the lower value for P/E ratios. Highlighting is a mechanical comparison, not a recommendation.
Key differences
- lululemon athletica inc. is about 3.6 times larger than American Eagle Outfitters by market value ($10.95B vs $3.04B).
- AEO has outperformed LULU by 62.4 percentage points over the past year.
- American Eagle Outfitters offers a meaningfully higher dividend yield (2.75% vs 0.00%).
- lululemon athletica inc. is more profitable, keeping 14.2 cents of every revenue dollar as net income versus 3.5 cents for American Eagle Outfitters.
About American Eagle Outfitters
AEO stock →American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. operates as a multi-brand specialty retailer in the United States and internationally.
Consumer Discretionary · Clothing/Shoe/Accessory Stores · 10,000 employees
About lululemon athletica inc.
LULU stock →lululemon athletica inc., together with its subsidiaries, designs, distributes, and retails technical athletic apparel, footwear, and accessories for women and men under the lululemon brand in the United States, Canada, Mexico, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau, Greece, and internationally. It offers pants, shorts, tops, and jackets for athletic activities, such as yoga, running, training, and other activities.
Consumer Discretionary · Apparel · 39,000 employees
AEO vs LULU FAQ
Which is bigger, American Eagle Outfitters or lululemon athletica inc.?
lululemon athletica inc. (LULU) is larger, with a market capitalization of $10.95B compared with $3.04B for American Eagle Outfitters (AEO).
Which stock has performed better over the past year, AEO or LULU?
AEO returned +15.41% over the past 12 months, compared with -46.99% for LULU (price return, excluding dividends). Past performance does not predict future results.
Which has the lower P/E ratio, AEO or LULU?
LULU has the lower trailing P/E at 7.8, versus 9.3 for AEO. A lower P/E is not by itself a sign of a better investment; it can reflect slower expected growth or higher risk.
Which pays a higher dividend, American Eagle Outfitters or lululemon athletica inc.?
American Eagle Outfitters pays a dividend yielding 2.75%, while lululemon athletica inc. does not currently pay a regular dividend.
Are American Eagle Outfitters and lululemon athletica inc. in the same industry?
Both are in the Consumer Discretionary sector, but in different industries: Clothing/Shoe/Accessory Stores for American Eagle Outfitters and Apparel for lululemon athletica inc..