Raymond James Financial Inc. Invests $16.85 Million in Ralph Lauren Co. (NYSE:RL)

Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in Ralph Lauren Co. (NYSE:RL) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 72,942 shares of the textile maker’s stock, valued at approximately $16,848,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. owned about 0.12% of Ralph Lauren as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Huntington National Bank increased its position in Ralph Lauren by 86.6% during the 3rd quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 222 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $43,000 after purchasing an additional 103 shares during the period. Jones Financial Companies Lllp raised its stake in shares of Ralph Lauren by 281.1% in the fourth quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 202 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 149 shares during the last quarter. True Wealth Design LLC raised its stake in shares of Ralph Lauren by 8,933.3% in the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 271 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $53,000 after purchasing an additional 268 shares during the last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its stake in shares of Ralph Lauren by 333.3% in the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 351 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $81,000 after purchasing an additional 270 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Transamerica Financial Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Ralph Lauren in the third quarter worth $86,000. 67.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Ralph Lauren Stock Down 0.1 %

Shares of NYSE:RL opened at $220.03 on Tuesday. Ralph Lauren Co. has a 52-week low of $155.96 and a 52-week high of $289.33. The stock has a market cap of $13.59 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 1.50. The business’s 50 day moving average is $253.47 and its 200 day moving average is $223.17. 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 (NYSE:RL) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The textile maker reported $4.82 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.46 by $0.36. Ralph Lauren had a return on equity of 30.88% and a net margin of 10.14%. Sell-side analysts predict that Ralph Lauren Co. will post 12.01 EPS for the current year.

Ralph Lauren Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 11th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 28th will be given a dividend of $0.825 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 28th. This represents a $3.30 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.50%. Ralph Lauren’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.11%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

RL has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on Ralph Lauren from $285.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 6th. BNP Paribas raised Ralph Lauren to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Ralph Lauren from $285.00 to $342.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, February 21st. UBS Group lifted their price objective on Ralph Lauren from $332.00 to $348.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Finally, Argus raised Ralph Lauren from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $250.00 price target for the company in a report on Tuesday, December 31st. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $284.15.

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