Ralph Lauren (NYSE:RL) Stock Price Expected to Rise, The Goldman Sachs Group Analyst Says

Ralph Lauren (NYSE:RL - Get Free Report) had its target price increased by equities research analysts at The Goldman Sachs Group from $262.00 to $324.00 in a report released on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a "buy" rating on the textile maker's stock. The Goldman Sachs Group's price objective suggests a potential upside of 18.20% from the stock's previous close.

RL has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on shares of Ralph Lauren from $250.00 to $328.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday. Citigroup boosted their price objective on shares of Ralph Lauren from $250.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $310.00 target price on shares of Ralph Lauren in a research note on Friday. Guggenheim upped their price target on Ralph Lauren from $285.00 to $310.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Finally, Barclays lifted their price objective on Ralph Lauren from $260.00 to $321.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, twelve have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $287.27.

Ralph Lauren Stock Down 1.2%

Shares of NYSE RL traded down $3.30 on Friday, reaching $274.12. 410,717 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 839,198. 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 business's 50 day simple moving average is $227.23 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $235.10. Ralph Lauren has a 12 month low of $155.96 and a 12 month high of $289.33. The company has a market cap of $16.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.03, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 1.44.

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

Ralph Lauren declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback plan on Thursday, May 22nd that authorizes the company to buyback $1.50 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the textile maker to purchase up to 8.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are often an indication that the company's management believes its stock is undervalued.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ralph Lauren

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Merit Financial Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Ralph Lauren in the fourth quarter worth about $507,000. HB Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Ralph Lauren in the 4th quarter worth approximately $272,000. Atomi Financial Group Inc. boosted its stake in Ralph Lauren by 7.4% in the 4th quarter. Atomi Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,274 shares of the textile maker's stock worth $294,000 after purchasing an additional 88 shares during the period. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Ralph Lauren by 39.5% during the 4th quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 18,097 shares of the textile maker's stock valued at $4,195,000 after buying an additional 5,120 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Janney Montgomery Scott LLC grew its holdings in Ralph Lauren by 47.5% during the 4th quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 5,274 shares of the textile maker's stock valued at $1,218,000 after buying an additional 1,698 shares in the last quarter. 67.91% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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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