Ralph Lauren (NYSE:RL) Sets New 12-Month High – Still a Buy?

Shares of Ralph Lauren Corporation (NYSE:RL) hit a new 52-week high during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $380.86 and last traded at $378.3080, with a volume of 386148 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $370.50.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. UBS Group raised their price target on shares of Ralph Lauren from $474.00 to $477.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. Guggenheim began coverage on Ralph Lauren in a research report on Tuesday, December 9th. They issued a “neutral” rating for the company. BTIG Research raised their target price on Ralph Lauren from $400.00 to $435.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Argus upped their price target on Ralph Lauren from $360.00 to $400.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Ralph Lauren in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $388.19.

Ralph Lauren Price Performance

The company’s 50-day moving average price is $361.24 and its 200-day moving average price is $334.47. The company has a quick ratio of 1.52, a current ratio of 2.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. The firm has a market cap of $22.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.75, a PEG ratio of 1.45 and a beta of 1.49.

Ralph Lauren (NYSE:RL) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The textile maker reported $6.22 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $5.80 by $0.42. The firm had revenue of $2.41 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.30 billion. Ralph Lauren had a net margin of 11.73% and a return on equity of 37.97%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $4.82 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Ralph Lauren Corporation will post 12.01 EPS for the current year.

Ralph Lauren Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 9th. Investors of record on Friday, December 26th were issued a $0.9125 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 26th. This represents a $3.65 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.0%. Ralph Lauren’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 24.85%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Patrice Louvet sold 47,000 shares of Ralph Lauren stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 85,552 shares in the company, valued at $30,304,229.44. The trade was a 35.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 38.34% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Ralph Lauren

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of RL. Hantz Financial Services Inc. lifted its stake in Ralph Lauren by 1,228.6% during the second quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 93 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 86 shares during the last quarter. Blueline Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Ralph Lauren during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Ralph Lauren in the 3rd quarter valued at $27,000. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC purchased a new position in shares of Ralph Lauren in the 2nd quarter valued at $28,000. Finally, Aventura Private Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of Ralph Lauren in the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. 67.91% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.