1,345 Shares in Ralph Lauren Corporation $RL Purchased by Vident Advisory LLC

Key Points

• Vident Advisory LLC acquired 1,345 shares of Ralph Lauren Corporation for approximately $297,000 during the first quarter, indicating increasing institutional interest in the stock.
• Ralph Lauren reported earnings of $3.77 per share for the most recent quarter, exceeding analysts' expectations of $3.50, with year-over-year revenue growth of 13.7%.
• The company has announced a $1.50 billion share buyback plan, suggesting that management believes the stock is currently undervalued.

Vident Advisory LLC acquired a new position in Ralph Lauren Corporation (NYSE:RL - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 1,345 shares of the textile maker's stock, valued at approximately $297,000.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB increased its position in Ralph Lauren by 93.7% in the 1st quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 122 shares of the textile maker's stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 59 shares during the last quarter. Sentry Investment Management LLC increased its position in Ralph Lauren by 178.0% in the 1st quarter. Sentry Investment Management LLC now owns 139 shares of the textile maker's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares during the last quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group increased its position in Ralph Lauren by 180.3% in the 1st quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 171 shares of the textile maker's stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 110 shares during the last quarter. Migdal Insurance & Financial Holdings Ltd. acquired a new position in Ralph Lauren in the 1st quarter worth about $39,000. Finally, Gordian Capital Singapore Pte Ltd acquired a new position in Ralph Lauren in the 1st quarter worth about $43,000. 67.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ralph Lauren Stock Performance

RL opened at $308.52 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $18.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 1.60. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $293.24 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $260.91. The company has a quick ratio of 1.30, a current ratio of 1.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58. Ralph Lauren Corporation has a 12-month low of $169.93 and a 12-month high of $321.77.

Ralph Lauren (NYSE:RL - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 7th. The textile maker reported $3.77 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $3.50 by $0.27. The firm had revenue of $1.72 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.65 billion. Ralph Lauren had a return on equity of 33.72% and a net margin of 10.91%.The company's revenue was up 13.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.70 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that Ralph Lauren Corporation will post 12.01 earnings per share for the current year.

Ralph Lauren announced that its board has initiated a share buyback plan on Thursday, May 22nd that allows the company to repurchase $1.50 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the textile maker to reacquire up to 8.8% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are often a sign that the company's leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have weighed in on RL shares. Zacks Research raised Ralph Lauren to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 12th. Needham & Company LLC increased their price objective on Ralph Lauren from $310.00 to $335.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 5th. Telsey Advisory Group increased their price objective on Ralph Lauren from $315.00 to $335.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, August 4th. Cowen reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Ralph Lauren in a report on Thursday, May 22nd. Finally, Citigroup increased their price objective on Ralph Lauren from $250.00 to $295.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, May 23rd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have given a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $307.88.

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.

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