Ralph Lauren (NYSE:RL) Sets New 1-Year High - Still a Buy?

Shares of Ralph Lauren Co. (NYSE:RL - Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $241.43 and last traded at $241.12, with a volume of 41909 shares. The stock had previously closed at $234.49.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have commented on RL shares. Raymond James increased their target price on Ralph Lauren from $215.00 to $235.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, November 8th. StockNews.com upgraded Ralph Lauren from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, November 18th. Cfra set a $171.00 target price on shares of Ralph Lauren in a report on Thursday, October 17th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Ralph Lauren from $195.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 23rd. Finally, UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of Ralph Lauren from $287.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, November 8th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $226.27.

Ralph Lauren Stock Up 3.4 %

The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $221.11 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $193.83. The company has a current ratio of 1.72, a quick ratio of 1.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. The company has a market capitalization of $15.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.49.

Ralph Lauren (NYSE:RL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 7th. The textile maker reported $2.54 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.43 by $0.11. The firm had revenue of $1.73 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.68 billion. Ralph Lauren had a return on equity of 29.44% and a net margin of 10.15%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 5.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.10 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Ralph Lauren Co. will post 11.71 EPS for the current year.

Ralph Lauren Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 10th. Investors of record on Friday, December 27th will be issued a $0.825 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 27th. This represents a $3.30 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.36%. Ralph Lauren's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 31.46%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ralph Lauren

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its position in Ralph Lauren by 2.8% in the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 492,787 shares of the textile maker's stock valued at $95,537,000 after purchasing an additional 13,640 shares during the period. Bridgewater Associates LP grew its stake in shares of Ralph Lauren by 145.8% in the third quarter. Bridgewater Associates LP now owns 59,927 shares of the textile maker's stock valued at $11,618,000 after buying an additional 35,550 shares in the last quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund purchased a new stake in shares of Ralph Lauren in the 3rd quarter valued at $1,819,000. Quest Partners LLC lifted its stake in Ralph Lauren by 210.1% during the 3rd quarter. Quest Partners LLC now owns 6,167 shares of the textile maker's stock worth $1,196,000 after acquiring an additional 4,178 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cypress Capital Group boosted its holdings in Ralph Lauren by 83.6% during the 3rd quarter. Cypress Capital Group now owns 6,653 shares of the textile maker's stock valued at $1,290,000 after acquiring an additional 3,029 shares during the period. 67.91% of the stock is currently 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.