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

Shares of Ralph Lauren Corporation (NYSE:RL) have earned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the eighteen brokerages that are covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fifteen have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $430.0714.

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Telsey Advisory Group raised their price objective on shares of Ralph Lauren from $435.00 to $460.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Citigroup upgraded shares of Ralph Lauren from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their target price for the stock from $360.00 to $400.00 in a research report on Tuesday, March 24th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $437.00 target price on shares of Ralph Lauren in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. UBS Group raised their price target on Ralph Lauren from $480.00 to $511.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on Ralph Lauren from $400.00 to $415.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, May 22nd.

Ralph Lauren Stock Down 1.9%

RL stock opened at $380.64 on Friday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $379.56 and its 200 day moving average is $366.31. The stock has a market cap of $22.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 1.34. The company has a current ratio of 2.13, a quick ratio of 1.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51. Ralph Lauren has a 1-year low of $273.04 and a 1-year high of $421.60.

Ralph Lauren (NYSE:RL) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The textile maker reported $2.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.52 by $0.28. Ralph Lauren had a net margin of 11.60% and a return on equity of 38.17%. The business had revenue of $1.98 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.85 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $2.27 earnings per share. Ralph Lauren’s revenue for the quarter was up 16.6% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that Ralph Lauren will post 18.33 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ralph Lauren Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 10th. Investors of record on Friday, June 26th were issued a dividend of $1.00 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, June 26th. This represents a $4.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. This is a positive change from Ralph Lauren’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. Ralph Lauren’s payout ratio is 26.47%.

Institutional Trading of Ralph Lauren

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Blueline Advisors LLC bought a new position in Ralph Lauren during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Aventura Private Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of Ralph Lauren in the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Ralph Lauren in the 3rd quarter valued at $27,000. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Ralph Lauren in the 4th quarter valued at $35,000. Finally, Elevated Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Ralph Lauren during the 4th quarter valued at $35,000. Institutional investors own 67.91% of the company’s stock.

Ralph Lauren Company Profile

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.