Ralph Lauren (NYSE:RL) Sets New 1-Year High – Here’s Why

Ralph Lauren Co. (NYSE:RL) hit a new 52-week high on Monday . The company traded as high as $241.43 and last traded at $241.12, with a volume of 41909 shares. The stock had previously closed at $234.49.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently weighed in on RL. Argus upgraded shares of Ralph Lauren from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $250.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, December 31st. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price objective on Ralph Lauren from $171.00 to $193.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, October 21st. Raymond James boosted their price target on Ralph Lauren from $215.00 to $235.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, November 8th. Cfra set a $171.00 price objective on shares of Ralph Lauren in a report on Thursday, October 17th. Finally, Barclays lifted their price target on Ralph Lauren from $200.00 to $257.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, November 8th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $226.27.

Ralph Lauren Price Performance

The firm has a 50-day moving average of $220.32 and a 200-day moving average of $193.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a quick ratio of 1.18 and a current ratio of 1.72. The firm has a market capitalization of $15.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.16, a PEG ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.49.

Ralph Lauren (NYSE:RL) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 7th. The textile maker reported $2.54 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.43 by $0.11. Ralph Lauren had a return on equity of 29.44% and a net margin of 10.15%. The firm had revenue of $1.73 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.68 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.10 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts predict that Ralph Lauren Co. will post 11.71 EPS for the current year.

Ralph Lauren Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 27th will be issued a dividend of $0.825 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 27th. This represents a $3.30 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.36%. Ralph Lauren’s payout ratio is 31.46%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ralph Lauren

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Huntington National Bank boosted its stake in shares of Ralph Lauren by 86.6% in the 3rd quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 222 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $43,000 after buying an additional 103 shares during the last quarter. True Wealth Design LLC lifted its holdings in Ralph Lauren by 8,933.3% in the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 271 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $53,000 after acquiring an additional 268 shares during the period. AM Squared Ltd purchased a new position in Ralph Lauren in the third quarter worth about $58,000. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its stake in shares of Ralph Lauren by 333.3% during the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 351 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $81,000 after purchasing an additional 270 shares during the period. Finally, Quent Capital LLC grew its stake in shares of Ralph Lauren by 181.7% during the 3rd quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 400 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $78,000 after purchasing an additional 258 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 67.91% of the company’s stock.

Ralph Lauren Company Profile

Ralph Lauren Corporation designs, markets, and distributes lifestyle products in North America, Europe, Asia, and internationally. The company offers apparel, including a range of men’s, women’s, and children’s clothing; footwear and accessories, which comprise casual shoes, dress shoes, boots, sneakers, sandals, eyewear, watches, fashion and fine jewelry, scarves, hats, gloves, and umbrellas, as well as leather goods, such as handbags, luggage, small leather goods, and belts; home products consisting of bed and bath lines, furniture, fabric and wallcoverings, floor coverings, lighting, tabletop, kitchen linens, floor coverings, dining, decorative accessories, and giftware; and fragrances.