Luxury is back as Ralph Lauren, Tapestry lead US stocks higher
Impressive quarterly results out of Ralph Lauren and Tapestry, the owner of Coach, have those two stocks at the top of the leaderboard in early trading on Thursday.
The maker of Polo-branded clothing and other luxury items posted results for the final three months of 2024 that were above every Wall Street projection on both the top and bottom lines. China, which has been anything but a strong consumer market as of late, was a particular spot of strength for Ralph Lauren.
Management also boosted its full-year forecast significantly, seeing sales growth in constant currency terms of 6% to 7%. Their previous guidance was for growth of 3% to 4%, and analysts were projecting an increase of about 4.3%.
Handbag company Tapestry also delivered a beat and raise. Earnings per share and sales surpassed every analyst’s projection for the most recent quarter, and the company lifted its full-year revenue guidance for the second time in three months.
Don’t tell Capri, which counts Michael Kors and Versace among its brands, that luxury is back, though. Shares of that company hit the skids after reporting underwhelming sales results. Tapestry had planned to acquire Capri, but that was kiboshed by a federal judge citing antitrust concerns.