Analysts Set Ralph Lauren Co. (NYSE:RL) Target Price at $158.92

Ralph Lauren Co. (NYSE:RL) has been given an average rating of “Moderate Buy” by the twelve analysts that are covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and eight have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year target price among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $163.08.

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on shares of Ralph Lauren in a report on Tuesday, April 30th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $195.00 target price on the stock. Telsey Advisory Group restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $195.00 target price (up previously from $165.00) on shares of Ralph Lauren in a report on Thursday, February 8th. UBS Group raised their price target on Ralph Lauren from $188.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, February 5th. StockNews.com raised Ralph Lauren from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, January 22nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Ralph Lauren from $160.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, March 4th.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ralph Lauren

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Boston Partners boosted its stake in Ralph Lauren by 67.2% in the 4th quarter. Boston Partners now owns 1,214,000 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $175,001,000 after purchasing an additional 487,882 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James & Associates raised its position in Ralph Lauren by 71.9% in the 4th quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 80,043 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $11,542,000 after buying an additional 33,489 shares during the last quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia raised its position in Ralph Lauren by 9.9% in the 3rd quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 2,761 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $321,000 after buying an additional 249 shares during the last quarter. Deutsche Bank AG raised its position in Ralph Lauren by 64.4% in the 3rd quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 123,638 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $14,353,000 after buying an additional 48,432 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bryn Mawr Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Ralph Lauren in the 4th quarter worth about $1,478,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 67.91% of the company’s stock.

Ralph Lauren Stock Up 0.4 %

Shares of Ralph Lauren stock opened at $166.98 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a quick ratio of 1.54 and a current ratio of 2.17. Ralph Lauren has a 52-week low of $103.17 and a 52-week high of $192.03. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.93, a P/E/G ratio of 0.96 and a beta of 1.55. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $172.40 and its 200-day moving average price is $154.12.

Ralph Lauren Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 12th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 28th were given a dividend of $0.75 per share. This represents a $3.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.80%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, March 27th. Ralph Lauren’s dividend payout ratio is currently 34.01%.

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, lighting, tabletop, kitchen linens, floor coverings, and giftware; and fragrances.