Ralph Lauren (NYSE:RL) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Citigroup Analyst Says

Ralph Lauren (NYSE:RL - Get Free Report) had its price objective hoisted by equities researchers at Citigroup from $250.00 to $295.00 in a research note issued to investors on Friday, Marketbeat reports. The firm presently has a "neutral" rating on the textile maker's stock. Citigroup's target price points to a potential upside of 3.82% from the stock's current price.

Other research analysts have also issued reports about the company. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on Ralph Lauren from $250.00 to $328.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 23rd. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $310.00 price objective on shares of Ralph Lauren in a research note on Friday, May 23rd. Guggenheim lifted their price objective on shares of Ralph Lauren from $285.00 to $310.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Ralph Lauren from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 6th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Ralph Lauren from $240.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 14th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating, thirteen have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $292.88.

Ralph Lauren Price Performance

Ralph Lauren stock traded down $2.06 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $284.16. 592,639 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 832,760. Ralph Lauren has a 1-year low of $155.96 and a 1-year high of $289.33. The company has a quick ratio of 1.31, a current ratio of 1.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. The firm has a market cap of $17.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.93, a P/E/G ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 1.44. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $230.53 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $236.59.

Ralph Lauren (NYSE:RL - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 22nd. The textile maker reported $2.27 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.00 by $0.27. Ralph Lauren had a net margin of 10.14% and a return on equity of 30.88%. The business had revenue of $1.70 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.64 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.71 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts forecast that Ralph Lauren will post 12.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ralph Lauren declared that its board has authorized a stock buyback plan on Thursday, May 22nd that allows the company to buyback $1.50 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the textile maker to reacquire up to 8.8% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are generally an indication that the company's board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ralph Lauren

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB grew its stake 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 acquiring an additional 59 shares in the last quarter. Sentry Investment Management LLC grew its position in Ralph Lauren by 178.0% during the first 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. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Ralph Lauren by 1,270.0% during the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 137 shares of the textile maker's stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 127 shares in the last quarter. Banque Transatlantique SA purchased a new position in shares of Ralph Lauren during the 1st quarter valued at $33,000. Finally, Brooklyn Investment Group grew its holdings in shares of Ralph Lauren by 180.3% during the 1st quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 171 shares of the textile maker's stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 110 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 67.91% of the company's stock.

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.