UBS Group Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Ralph Lauren (NYSE:RL) Stock

Ralph Lauren (NYSE:RL - Get Free Report) had its price target raised by equities research analysts at UBS Group from $335.00 to $384.00 in a research note issued to investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a "buy" rating on the textile maker's stock. UBS Group's target price would indicate a potential upside of 40.02% from the stock's previous close.

Several other equities analysts also recently commented on RL. Cfra Research downgraded shares of Ralph Lauren from a "hold" rating to a "moderate sell" rating in a research note on Tuesday. Cowen reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Ralph Lauren in a report on Thursday. Needham & Company LLC reissued a "buy" rating and set a $310.00 price objective on shares of Ralph Lauren in a report on Friday. BNP Paribas raised Ralph Lauren to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, January 23rd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on Ralph Lauren from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating, thirteen have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Ralph Lauren currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $292.88.

Ralph Lauren Price Performance

Shares of RL traded down $3.17 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $274.25. The company's stock had a trading volume of 474,923 shares, compared to its average volume of 839,490. The company has a quick ratio of 1.31, a current ratio of 1.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. Ralph Lauren has a one year low of $155.96 and a one year high of $289.33. The stock has a market capitalization of $16.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 1.44. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $227.23 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $235.10.

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

Ralph Lauren announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock repurchase 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 stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are often an indication that the company's board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ralph Lauren

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Intech Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in Ralph Lauren by 459.3% in the first quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 23,755 shares of the textile maker's stock valued at $5,244,000 after buying an additional 19,508 shares during the period. Focus Partners Wealth lifted its position in shares of Ralph Lauren by 29.5% during the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 3,812 shares of the textile maker's stock valued at $841,000 after acquiring an additional 869 shares during the period. Bayforest Capital Ltd boosted its stake in Ralph Lauren by 92.5% during the first quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd now owns 462 shares of the textile maker's stock worth $102,000 after acquiring an additional 222 shares in the last quarter. Woodline Partners LP increased its stake in Ralph Lauren by 39.5% in the first quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 3,369 shares of the textile maker's stock valued at $744,000 after purchasing an additional 954 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Zurich Insurance Group Ltd FI acquired a new position in shares of Ralph Lauren during the first quarter valued at about $997,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.

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