Ralph Lauren (NYSE:RL) Hits New 52-Week High After Better-Than-Expected Earnings

Shares of Ralph Lauren Co. (NYSE:RL) hit a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The stock traded as high as $289.07 and last traded at $284.79, with a volume of 180003 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $249.00.

The textile maker reported $4.82 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.46 by $0.36. Ralph Lauren had a net margin of 10.15% and a return on equity of 29.44%.

Ralph Lauren Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 27th were issued a $0.825 dividend. This represents a $3.30 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.23%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 27th. Ralph Lauren’s dividend payout ratio is 31.46%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $265.00 price target on shares of Ralph Lauren in a research report on Tuesday. UBS Group upped their target price on shares of Ralph Lauren from $332.00 to $348.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price objective on shares of Ralph Lauren from $285.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday. BNP Paribas raised Ralph Lauren to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 23rd. Finally, Argus raised Ralph Lauren from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $250.00 price target for the company in a report on Tuesday, December 31st. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $276.55.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Mather Group LLC. increased its position in Ralph Lauren by 4.1% during the fourth quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 1,182 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $273,000 after acquiring an additional 47 shares during the last quarter. M&T Bank Corp increased its position in shares of Ralph Lauren by 3.4% during the third quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 1,657 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $321,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares during the period. Simmons Bank raised its position in Ralph Lauren by 2.3% during the 3rd quarter. Simmons Bank now owns 2,703 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $524,000 after purchasing an additional 62 shares in the last quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. lifted its stake in Ralph Lauren by 6.6% in the fourth quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. now owns 1,005 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $231,000 after acquiring an additional 62 shares during the period. Finally, Commerce Bank lifted its position in shares of Ralph Lauren by 1.2% in the 3rd quarter. Commerce Bank now owns 5,687 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $1,103,000 after purchasing an additional 66 shares during the period. 67.91% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ralph Lauren Price Performance

The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $239.00 and a 200-day simple moving average of $205.85. The company has a current ratio of 1.72, a quick ratio of 1.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. The firm has a market cap of $16.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.67, a PEG ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 1.49.

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.