Analysts see a lot to like about Lululemon ($LULU) this holiday season, and some are bumping up their earnings expectations for the stock. 

Lululemon reports earnings on December 11 and analysts tracked by Zacks Investment Research are expecting EPS $0.93. So far in 2019, shares are up a whopping 72% - but it sounds like it may well have more room to run. 

While they're not at their peak - it's clear that Lululemon is growing the brand. In our chart above we can see that job postings tend to begin rising slightly right before the holiday season, which they've done over each of the last three years. They tend to dip afterward, likely a sign that positions are being filled, as Lululemon takes on more staffers for the holidays. Postings have risen 14% so far this year.

"We remain upbeat on LULU and are optimistic that shares could prove another solid performer for 2020," Oppenheimer & Co. analyst Brian Nagel wrote December 3 in a note that boosted price expectations for the stock to $260/share from $225/per.

Additionally, Lululemon Facebook ($FB) Talking About Count is shooting up for the holidays. Yes, in years past (not shown) Lululemon had a bit more buzz on the social network. But, as is the case with many big brands, it's tough to keep that trajectory going outside of big consumer shopping seasons.

And the return to relevance as more shoppers hit the malls is another great signal for investors (just, for next quarter's earnings, and not the one it will report soon). 

Finally, we showed before Black Friday that the time to buy Lululemon gear was then, and discounts are still making their way down now. Meaning that, as the holiday shopping season continues, Lululemon's margin grows fatter. It might need some new pants at this pace. 

Part of what helps Lululemon, and the analysts who keep helping to push share prices higher, is the fact that it continues to open more new stores - which we can track in our very last image, the map below. 

About the Data: 

Thinknum tracks companies using the information they post online - jobs, social and web traffic, product sales and app ratings - and creates data sets that measure factors like hiring, revenue and foot traffic. Data sets may not be fully comprehensive (they only account for what is available on the web), but they can be used to gauge performance factors like staffing and sales. 

Further Reading: 

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