We’ve cracked open the case on which stocks to buy — and avoid — for the month of May, which have included names Marriott International (MAR) and Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) for the latter. There is a popular retail name that has also made the list of stocks to skip in May, with data pulled from Schaeffer’s Senior Quantitative Analyst Rocky White.
White compiled a list of the 25 worst S&P 500 Index (SPX) names that historically underperform in May, going back a decade. In the top half of the table is clothing chain Lululemon Athletica Inc (NASDAQ:LULU). Over the past 10 years, LULU has averaged a loss of 2.8% for the month of May, finishing lower 80% of the time.
LULU has been struggling on the charts in 2025, down 27% in this time frame. The equity has been attempting to rebound off its April 4 bottom of $234.84, but is now meeting resistance at the $80 level. At last glance, Lululemon Athletica stock is trading up 0.7%, at $279.46.
Calls have been popular of late, leaving ample room for bears to move in, should this upbeat sentiment begin to unwind. This is per the stock’s 10-day call/put volume ratio of 1.79, which ranks in the highest annual percentile at the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Cboe Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX).
Options are looking like an affordable way to go. This is per LULU’s Schaeffer’s Volatility Index (SVI) of 41%, which sits in the 23rd percentile of its annual range.
