Jefferies Financial Group Increases Ralph Lauren (NYSE:RL) Price Target to $365.00

Key Points

• Jefferies Financial Group has raised its price target for Ralph Lauren (NYSE:RL) from $325.00 to $365.00, indicating a potential upside of 15.64% from the current stock price with a "buy" rating.
• Other analysts have also increased their price targets, with JPMorgan Chase lifting their target to $406.00 and Telsey Advisory Group to $350.00, reflecting positive sentiment in the market.
• Ralph Lauren reported strong quarterly earnings with $3.77 EPS, exceeding estimates, and announced a $1.50 billion share buyback program, signaling management's confidence in the stock's valuation.

Ralph Lauren (NYSE:RL - Get Free Report) had its price target raised by investment analysts at Jefferies Financial Group from $325.00 to $365.00 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a "buy" rating on the textile maker's stock. Jefferies Financial Group's price objective suggests a potential upside of 15.64% from the stock's current price.

A number of other research analysts have also issued reports on RL. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Ralph Lauren from $355.00 to $406.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, July 28th. Telsey Advisory Group boosted their price target on Ralph Lauren from $335.00 to $350.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday. Needham & Company LLC boosted their price target on Ralph Lauren from $335.00 to $350.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, September 12th. Cowen restated a "buy" rating on shares of Ralph Lauren in a report on Thursday, May 22nd. Finally, Cfra Research upgraded Ralph Lauren from a "moderate sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, August 11th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have given a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $311.41.

Ralph Lauren Stock Performance

RL traded up $0.98 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $315.64. 67,986 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 837,027. The stock has a market cap of $19.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.28, a PEG ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 1.60. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $297.39 and a 200 day moving average of $262.74. The company has a current ratio of 1.84, a quick ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58. Ralph Lauren has a 52 week low of $176.61 and a 52 week high of $321.77.

Ralph Lauren (NYSE:RL - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 7th. The textile maker reported $3.77 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.50 by $0.27. The firm had revenue of $1.72 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.65 billion. Ralph Lauren had a return on equity of 33.72% and a net margin of 10.91%.The firm's revenue was up 13.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.70 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Ralph Lauren will post 12.01 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ralph Lauren announced that its Board of Directors has approved a share buyback program on Thursday, May 22nd that permits the company to repurchase $1.50 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the textile maker to buy up to 8.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are generally a sign that the company's management believes its shares are undervalued.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ralph Lauren

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of RL. Hantz Financial Services Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Ralph Lauren by 1,228.6% in the 2nd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 93 shares of the textile maker's stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 86 shares in the last quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB increased its holdings in Ralph Lauren by 93.7% during the 1st quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 122 shares of the textile maker's stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 59 shares in the last quarter. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC acquired a new stake in Ralph Lauren during the 2nd quarter valued at $28,000. Sentry Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in Ralph Lauren by 178.0% during the 1st quarter. Sentry Investment Management LLC now owns 139 shares of the textile maker's stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares in the last quarter. Finally, MUFG Securities EMEA plc acquired a new stake in Ralph Lauren during the 2nd quarter valued at $32,000. 67.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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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