Ralph Lauren (NYSE:RL) Shares Gap Down – Here’s What Happened

Shares of Ralph Lauren Corporation (NYSE:RL) gapped down before the market opened on Thursday . The stock had previously closed at $354.70, but opened at $325.48. Ralph Lauren shares last traded at $329.8060, with a volume of 789,459 shares changing hands.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently commented on RL shares. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Ralph Lauren in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $422.00 price target on shares of Ralph Lauren in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Telsey Advisory Group restated an “outperform” rating and set a $435.00 target price on shares of Ralph Lauren in a research note on Friday, January 30th. BTIG Research assumed coverage on Ralph Lauren in a research report on Tuesday, October 14th. They set a “buy” rating and a $400.00 target price on the stock. Finally, UBS Group raised their price target on Ralph Lauren from $473.00 to $474.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Ralph Lauren has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $377.71.

Ralph Lauren Price Performance

The company has a current ratio of 2.04, a quick ratio of 1.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $362.01 and a 200 day moving average price of $330.37. The stock has a market capitalization of $20.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.77, a PEG ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 1.49.

Ralph Lauren (NYSE:RL) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 5th. The textile maker reported $6.22 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $5.80 by $0.42. The company had revenue of $2.41 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.30 billion. Ralph Lauren had a return on equity of 36.18% and a net margin of 11.28%.Ralph Lauren’s quarterly revenue was up 12.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $4.82 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Ralph Lauren Corporation will post 12.01 earnings per share for the current year.

Ralph Lauren Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 9th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 26th were paid a dividend of $0.9125 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 26th. This represents a $3.65 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. Ralph Lauren’s payout ratio is currently 26.98%.

Institutional Trading of Ralph Lauren

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Hantz Financial Services Inc. lifted its holdings in Ralph Lauren by 1,228.6% in the 2nd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 93 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 86 shares in the last quarter. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Ralph Lauren during the third quarter worth about $27,000. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC purchased a new stake in Ralph Lauren during the 2nd quarter valued at about $28,000. Aventura Private Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Ralph Lauren in the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, Rothschild Investment LLC grew its position in shares of Ralph Lauren by 61.3% in the third quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 100 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 38 shares in the last quarter. 67.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ralph Lauren Company Profile

Ralph Lauren Corporation (NYSE: RL) is a global designer, marketer and distributor of premium lifestyle products under the Ralph Lauren name and a portfolio of related brands. The company, founded by Ralph Lauren in 1967 and headquartered in New York City, has grown from a single line of men’s neckties into a global lifestyle business that spans apparel, accessories and home goods.

Ralph Lauren’s product assortment includes menswear, womenswear and childrenswear along with footwear, leather goods, eyewear, fragrances and home furnishings.