Ralph Lauren Corporation RL stock has been trending up the charts in the past year, recording growth of 18%. This growth comfortably outpaces the broader Consumer Discretionary sector’s return of 3.4% and the Zacks Textile - Apparel industry‘s loss of 19.7% in the same period. RL’s shares have also surpassed the S&P 500 index’s appreciation of 9.1% in a year.
RL’s Strategies Aid the Rally
Ralph Lauren’s stock performance is well supported by its progress on ‘Next Great Chapter: Accelerate Plan’ and digital efforts. As part of the plan, the company is focused on elevating its lifestyle brand, expanding core and other businesses, and strengthening its presence in key cities.
RL continues to invest in key priorities like marketing, digital growth and expanding its ecosystem in major cities. The company’s direct-to-consumer channels, including stores and digital commerce, are performing well, with significant progress in mobile, omnichannel and fulfillment investments. In the latest quarter, digital sales were up 14% in Europe and 29% in Asia.
Ralph Lauren delivered strong performance across both retail and wholesale channels, exceeding expectations. The company’s strategic brand elevation, disciplined inventory management and digital investments have been driving its performance across the retail and wholesale channels.
The company is enhancing its global lifestyle brands by offering premium products that align with evolving consumer preferences. Its strategy, which includes product elevation, personalized promotions, disciplined inventory management and a favorable channel and geographic mix, is proving effective.
RL Price Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
RL’s Earnings Estimate Revisions
Given the tailwinds surrounding the stock, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2025 and fiscal 2026 has been northbound.
In the past 30 days, the consensus estimate for earnings per share (EPS) for the current fiscal year has risen 0.3% to $12.01 and 0.5% to $13.62 for fiscal 2026. This implies a corresponding year-over-year earnings growth of 16.5% and 13.5%, respectively, for fiscal 2025 and 2026.
RL Stock’s Valuation
Going by the price/sales ratio, the stock is currently trading at 1.91 on a forward 12-month basis, higher than 1.90 for the industry. Also, the stock is trading higher than its median of 1.27.
Conclusion
Ralph Lauren’s robust strategies, including the Next Chapter Plan and digital endeavors, position it well for long-term growth. These factors and upward revisions in RL’s earnings estimates bode well for this Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) stock.
Other Key Consumer Discretionary Picks
We have highlighted three other top-ranked stocks, namely Duluth Holdings DLTH, Gildan Activewear GIL and Royal Caribbean RCL.
Duluth Holdings, a casual wear, workwear and accessories dealer, currently carries a Zacks Rank of 2 at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Duluth Holdings has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 37.2%, on average. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for DLTH’s current financial-year EPS indicates growth of 5.6% from the year-ago figure.
Gildan Activewear, a manufacturer of premium quality branded basic activewear, carries a Zacks Rank of 2 at present. GIL has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 5.3%, on average.
The consensus estimate for Gildan Activewear’s 2025 sales and EPS indicates an increase of 4.4% and 16%, respectively, from the year-ago levels.
Royal Caribbean, a cruise company, carries a Zacks Rank of 2 at present. RCL has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 18.5%, on average.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for RCL’s 2025 sales and EPS indicates an increase of 9.1% and 26.3%, respectively, from the year-ago levels.
Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCL) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Ralph Lauren Corporation (RL) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Gildan Activewear, Inc. (GIL) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Duluth Holdings Inc. (DLTH) : Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
Zacks Investment Research
Comments