Ralph Lauren (NYSE:RL) Shares Gap Down – Should You Sell?

Ralph Lauren Co. (NYSE:RL)’s share price gapped down before the market opened on Thursday . The stock had previously closed at $236.35, but opened at $208.99. Ralph Lauren shares last traded at $197.86, with a volume of 298,909 shares traded.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have issued reports on RL. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Ralph Lauren from $225.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of Ralph Lauren from $285.00 to $342.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 21st. UBS Group increased their price target on shares of Ralph Lauren from $332.00 to $348.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. TD Cowen raised their target price on Ralph Lauren from $258.00 to $268.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC initiated coverage on shares of Ralph Lauren in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $310.00 price objective on the stock. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $284.62.

Ralph Lauren Price Performance

The company has a current ratio of 1.76, a quick ratio of 1.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $247.58 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $227.14. The company has a market cap of $12.14 billion, a PE ratio of 17.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 1.50.

Ralph Lauren (NYSE:RL) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The textile maker reported $4.82 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.46 by $0.36. Ralph Lauren had a return on equity of 30.88% and a net margin of 10.14%. On average, equities analysts predict that Ralph Lauren Co. will post 12.01 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ralph Lauren Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 11th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 28th will be given a dividend of $0.825 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 28th. This represents a $3.30 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.68%. Ralph Lauren’s payout ratio is 30.11%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ralph Lauren

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB boosted its position in shares of Ralph Lauren by 93.7% in the 1st quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 122 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 59 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Ralph Lauren by 1,270.0% during the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 137 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 127 shares during the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp increased its position in Ralph Lauren by 281.1% during the fourth quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 202 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $47,000 after buying an additional 149 shares in the last quarter. Pinpoint Asset Management Ltd raised its holdings in shares of Ralph Lauren by 22,500.0% in the fourth quarter. Pinpoint Asset Management Ltd now owns 226 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $52,000 after acquiring an additional 225 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Ralph Lauren in the fourth quarter valued at $63,000. 67.91% of the stock is 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.