Legendary guru Martin Whitman purchased 114,465 shares of Ralph Lauren Corp. (RL, Financial) in the first quarter.
Ralph Lauren was incorporated on March 20, 1997, under the laws of Delaware. The company produces premium lifestyle products, including men's, women's and children's apparel, accessories, fragrances and home furnishings. It operates in three segments: wholesale, retail and licensing. The wholesale segment consists of women’s, men's and children's apparel, accessories and related products which are sold in department stores, specialty stores, in the U.S. and overseas.
Ralph Lauren has a market cap of $8.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.53, an enterprise value of $7.82 billion, a P/B ratio of 2.13 and a dividend yield of 2.07.
Ralph Lauren has a 5-star predictability rating and four good signs, according to GuruFocus. The company’s dividend yield is close to a 10-year high. The P/E ratio is close to a five-year low. Ralph Lauren's P/B ratio is close to a five-year low at 2.11, which is close to the five-year low of 1.92. The P/S ratio is also close to a five-year low at 1.12 compared to the five-year low of 1.02.
Whitman has nearly seven decades of experience in the investment industry. A Bronx, New York native, Whitman began his career shortly after graduating from Syracuse University with a degree in business administration in 1949. Whitman seized an opportunity shortly after his graduation to begin his career as a security analyst for Shearson Hammill. After gaining valuable experience from Shearson Hammill, Whitman took advantage of another opportunity to gain wisdom and experience when he began working as an investment banker for the holders of the Sears Roebuck fortune, the Rosenwald family who actively managed Sears department stores in the early 1900s.
In 1974 nearly 25 years after his graduation from Syracuse, Whitman ventured off on his own to found M.J. Whitman LLC, a full-service brokerage. Whitman continued to work on his mental models while increasing his knowledge in long-term value investing. Whitman also learned to improve his rationality and emotional intelligence by avoiding unnecessary risk. In 1990 Whitman founded Third Avenue Funds which owns 36 stocks and has a total valuation of over $1.18 billion.
Ralph Lauren is also traded in Germany.
Cheers to your investment success.
Disclaimer: Author does not currently own any shares of this holding.
