Shares of Ralph Lauren Corporation (RL) soared to a new 52-week high of $185.92 on Friday, Dec 26, 2014. The company continues to gain from a consistent positive earnings surprise trend, strong revenue growth, an impressive financial position and strong valuation levels.
Average volume of shares traded over the last 3 months stands at approximately 823K. The stock currently trades at a forward P/E of 21.6x, at a 9.6% premium from the peer group average of 19.7x. Moreover, the company’s estimated long-term earnings growth rate stands at 12.5%.
This designer, marketer and distributor of lifestyle products closed trade at $185.12 on Friday, representing a solid year-to-date return of approximately 6.7%.
Looking at the earnings surprise history, the company has been performing either above or at par with the Zacks Consensus Estimate in the past several years, with consecutive earnings surprise witnessed in the last 5 quarters. The average positive surprise in the trailing 5 quarters comes to 3.8%.
Continuing with its upbeat bottom-line performance, Ralph Lauren posted better-than-expected earnings for second-quarter fiscal 2015. The company’s earnings of $2.25 per share in the quarter surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.05 and rose nearly 1% from the year-ago quarter figure of $2.23 per share. The company’s second-quarter performance demonstrated significant progress in its strategic initiatives.
The quarter was also characterized by double-digit revenue growth at the international and e-commerce businesses, indicating momentous recognition of the company’s brands globally, as well as the launch of the “Polo for Women” brand.
Apart from strong second-quarter results, Ralph Lauren's growth story looks compelling as it commands a stellar portfolio of globally recognized brands which provide it an edge over its peers. We believe that the company's sustained focus on expanding higher growth businesses, such as the accessories category, along with the strategic expansion of its global operations, bode well for future growth.
Ralph Lauren continues to progress with its mix shift plan toward retail and international, with the vision of greater profitability in these sections than the wholesale and domestic businesses. The company also remains focused on building its brand image which is essential for luxury retailers. In the retail segment, the company continues to invest in Polo, Ralph Lauren and D&S stores along with growing its e-commerce and omni-channel presence.
This Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company also boasts a debt-free balance sheet with cash and investments of $1,191 billion at the end of second-quarter fiscal 2015 that will provide it with the financial flexibility to drive future growth. The company’s ability to generate a strong operating cash flow has helped in the execution of its long-term strategies such as expanding globally, enhancing product and brand offerings, and building operational infrastructure.
Alongside, companies like Dean Foods Co. (DF), Newell Rubbermaid Inc. (NWL) and Whirlpool Corp. (WHR) crafted new 52-week highs of $19.35, $38.57 and $194.46, respectively on Friday.
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