Ralph Lauren (NYSE:RL) Shares Gap Down - What's Next?

Ralph Lauren Co. (NYSE:RL - Get Free Report) gapped down prior to trading on Thursday . The stock had previously closed at $273.88, but opened at $263.77. Ralph Lauren shares last traded at $274.67, with a volume of 301,732 shares trading hands.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

RL has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Cowen reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Ralph Lauren in a research report on Tuesday, February 4th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of Ralph Lauren from $240.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 14th. UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of Ralph Lauren from $300.00 to $335.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Ralph Lauren from $285.00 to $342.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, February 21st. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded Ralph Lauren from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 6th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $277.29.

Ralph Lauren Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 1.76 and a quick ratio of 1.31. The business's 50-day moving average price is $226.09 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $234.57. The firm has a market cap of $17.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.21, a P/E/G ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 1.44.

Ralph Lauren (NYSE:RL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 22nd. The textile maker reported $2.27 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.95 by $0.32. Ralph Lauren had a net margin of 10.14% and a return on equity of 30.88%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.71 earnings per share. On average, research analysts forecast that Ralph Lauren Co. will post 12.01 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ralph Lauren Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 11th. Investors of record on Friday, June 27th will be paid a $0.9125 dividend. This represents a $3.65 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.32%. This is an increase from Ralph Lauren's previous quarterly dividend of $0.83. Ralph Lauren's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 30.11%.

Institutional Trading of Ralph Lauren

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB raised its position in shares of 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. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in Ralph Lauren by 1,270.0% during the fourth quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 137 shares of the textile maker's stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 127 shares during the last quarter. Sentry Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Ralph Lauren by 178.0% during the first 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 period. Banque Transatlantique SA bought a new position in shares of Ralph Lauren in the 1st quarter worth about $33,000. Finally, Brooklyn Investment Group lifted its position in shares of 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 buying an additional 110 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.91% of the company's stock.

About Ralph Lauren

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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