Ralph Lauren Corporation (NYSE:RL) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Shares of Ralph Lauren Corporation (NYSE:RL) have earned a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, three have given a hold recommendation, fourteen have given a buy recommendation and two have given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price target among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $389.0625.

RL has been the topic of a number of research reports. BTIG Research upped their target price on Ralph Lauren from $400.00 to $435.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Guggenheim assumed coverage on shares of Ralph Lauren in a research report on Tuesday, December 9th. They issued a “neutral” rating for the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $422.00 price target on shares of Ralph Lauren in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Argus raised their price objective on shares of Ralph Lauren from $360.00 to $400.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of Ralph Lauren from $333.00 to $360.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, February 6th.

Ralph Lauren Price Performance

Shares of NYSE RL opened at $330.43 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $20.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.49, a P/E/G ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 1.47. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $359.71 and its 200-day moving average price is $342.58. The company has a current ratio of 2.10, a quick ratio of 1.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. Ralph Lauren has a 1-year low of $176.61 and a 1-year high of $389.15.

Ralph Lauren (NYSE:RL) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The textile maker reported $6.22 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $5.80 by $0.42. Ralph Lauren had a return on equity of 37.97% and a net margin of 11.73%.The company had revenue of $2.41 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.30 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $4.82 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that Ralph Lauren will post 12.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Patrice Louvet sold 47,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $354.22, for a total value of $16,648,340.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 85,552 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $30,304,229.44. This trade represents a 35.46% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 38.34% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ralph Lauren

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its position in Ralph Lauren by 13.2% in the 2nd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 1,007,745 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $276,407,000 after purchasing an additional 117,494 shares in the last quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH increased its stake in Ralph Lauren by 18.6% in the 3rd quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH now owns 32,362 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $10,147,000 after buying an additional 5,075 shares during the last quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Ralph Lauren by 7.4% during the 3rd quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 265,601 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $83,282,000 after buying an additional 18,355 shares in the last quarter. Winnow Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of Ralph Lauren in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $899,000. Finally, Rakuten Investment Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Ralph Lauren in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $86,719,000. 67.91% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Ralph Lauren

Ralph Lauren Corporation (NYSE: RL) is a global designer, marketer and distributor of premium lifestyle products under the Ralph Lauren name and a portfolio of related brands. The company, founded by Ralph Lauren in 1967 and headquartered in New York City, has grown from a single line of men’s neckties into a global lifestyle business that spans apparel, accessories and home goods.

Ralph Lauren’s product assortment includes menswear, womenswear and childrenswear along with footwear, leather goods, eyewear, fragrances and home furnishings.