After being one of the best performing sectors last year, The U.S.’s retail industry has taken a big hit in 2014. The S&P 500 Textiles, Apparel and Luxury Goods index is down about 5% since January; it was up about 37% last year.
While a lot of retail companies have suffered this year — in part because of bad weather in the first quarter — if you look carefully, there are still some good buys on the market.
One company that’s on a number of analysts’ buy lists is Ralph Lauren Corp. (NYSE: RL), the famous New York-based clothing company.
The company’s stock has had a pullback this year — it’s down about 10% year-to-date and 15% since last August — but the dip is only temporary, says John Apruzzese, chief investment officer with New York’s Evercore Wealth Management.
He started buying the stock in mid-June. It’s fallen mostly because all other retail stocks are down, he says, but it still has a lot of long-term potential.
There are three reasons why this stock will rebound, says Apruzzese. The first is that it’s just starting to grow its e-commerce business. Online sales account for about 10% of total sales, he explains, and he’s confident that should expand over time.
STOCK PICK: The Home Shopping Network (HSNI) is still going strong »
READ: Online shopping boom is driving growth for warehouse REITs »
The second reason is that 60% of its sales come from its men’s division, while 40% come from women, says Apruzzese. It’s typically the other way around for most retailers.
The company is trying to target more women — its flagship Polo store, which is opening in New York in September, will only carry women’s clothing — which is a lucrative market.
READ: Snobbery sells: rude sales staff boost luxury brands’ cachet, says UBC study »
Finally, it’s continuing to expand internationally. While it has a strong presence in Europe, Japan and Russia, it’s still building out its Asian operations.
It currently generates about 66% of its revenues from the U.S. and only gets a low double-digit percentage from Asia. The company has said that it wants a more even balance between America, Europe and Asia in the future, but to do that it will have to raise its revenues overseas.
The stock is trading at $160, but some analysts think it could get as high as $223. The mean 12-month price target is $188 a share.
“It’s an interesting stock,” says Apruzzese. “It’s expanding nicely outside of the U.S. and if it can improve other parts of their business then it will grow quickly.”
Follow Us
Like Us
