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Ralph Lauren Corp.: Q1 FY2027 earnings call

What management said about Q1 FY2027, from the documents filed with the SEC on 6 August 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 2 raised, 1 lowered, 4 new, 3 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue rose 14% reported: Revenue reached $2.0 billion, up 14% on a reported basis and 13% in constant currency. Foreign currency added about 60 basis points to growth. Source
  • Diluted EPS rose 22%: Diluted EPS was $4.28 reported and $4.59 adjusted, both up 22% from the prior year. Adjusted figures exclude restructuring-related and other net charges. Source
  • Asia revenue and margin climbed: Asia revenue rose 24% reported to $589 million, with China up more than 40%. Asia operating margin was 33.5%, up 280 basis points. Source
  • Average unit retail rose 15%: AUR rose 15% across direct-to-consumer, above expectations. Management cited full-price selling trends and fewer planned promotions. Source
  • Gross margin rose to 73.7%: Gross profit was $1.4 billion and gross margin was 73.7%, 140 basis points above the prior year. Source
  • Margin expansion ran above expectations: Adjusted gross and operating margin expansion came in above the company's prior view, with full-price demand and expense discipline offsetting higher marketing investment. Source
  • Over $300 million returned: Returns came through the quarterly dividend and repurchases of Class A common stock. The company repurchased about $250 million of stock in the quarter. Source

“We are off to a strong start in the second year of our Next Great Chapter: Drive plan, with broad-based performance across geographies, channels and consumer segments in the first quarter”

Patrice Louvet, President and Chief Executive Officer

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Revenue growth, constant currency SourceFiscal 2027centered around 5% to 6%Raised from centered around 4% to 5%
Operating margin expansion, constant currency SourceFiscal 202760 to 80 basis pointsRaised from 40 to 60 basis points
Foreign currency impact on revenue growth SourceFiscal 2027approximately 50 to 100 basis points (negative)Lowered from roughly neutral
53rd week contribution SourceFiscal 2027additional 1 point to revenue growth; slight benefit to operating marginKept
Capital expenditures SourceFiscal 2027approximately 4% to 5% of revenueKept
Revenue growth, constant currency SourceSecond quarter of Fiscal 2027centered around 5% to 6%New
Operating margin expansion, constant currency SourceSecond quarter of Fiscal 202780 to 100 basis pointsNew
Foreign currency impact on revenue growth SourceSecond quarter of Fiscal 2027100 to 150 basis points (negative)New
Effective tax rate SourceSecond quarter of Fiscal 2027approximately 19% to 20%New
Effective tax rate SourceFiscal 2027approximately 21% to 22%Kept

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance raised: Full-year constant currency revenue growth range now centered around 5% to 6%, from 4% to 5%, which the company linked to better-than-expected first-quarter results. Source
  • Guidance raised: Full-year constant currency operating margin expansion raised to 60 to 80 basis points, from 40 to 60 basis points. Source
  • Guidance lowered: Full-year foreign currency effect on revenue growth changed from roughly neutral to a negative impact of about 50 to 100 basis points. Source
  • New guidance: Second-quarter revenue guidance issued: constant currency growth centered around 5% to 6%. Source
  • New guidance: Second-quarter operating margin guidance issued: expansion of 80 to 100 basis points in constant currency. Source
  • New guidance: Second-quarter foreign currency effect on revenue growth guided at a negative 100 to 150 basis points. Source
  • New guidance: Second-quarter effective tax rate guidance issued: about 19% to 20%. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Revenue rose 14% reported: Revenue reached $2.0 billion, up 14% on a reported basis and 13% in constant currency. Foreign currency added about 60 basis points to growth. Source
  • Diluted EPS rose 22%: Diluted EPS was $4.28 reported and $4.59 adjusted, both up 22% from the prior year. Adjusted figures exclude restructuring-related and other net charges. Source
  • Operating income rose to $342 million: Operating income was $342 million at a 17.5% reported margin. Adjusted operating income was $366 million at an 18.7% margin, 170 basis points above the prior year. Source
  • Tax rate rose on prior benefits: Net income was $262 million. The effective tax rate rose from about 21% a year earlier, as favorable discrete tax benefits from the prior year did not recur. Source

Segments and regions

  • Asia revenue and margin climbed: Asia revenue rose 24% reported to $589 million, with China up more than 40%. Asia operating margin was 33.5%, up 280 basis points. Source
  • North America operating margin rose: North America operating income was $171 million at a 23.1% margin, up 240 basis points from the prior year. Source
  • Europe margin flat on higher revenue: Europe operating income was $157 million at a 26.4% margin, flat year over year. Foreign currency added 40 basis points to that margin. Source
  • Asia comparable store sales rose: Asia comparable store sales rose 23%, with brick-and-mortar stores up 22% and digital commerce up 32%. Source

“Our iconic brand is resonating around the world, and we continue to invest behind the long-term strategic priorities that will drive further sustainable growth and value creation into the future”

Patrice Louvet, President and Chief Executive Officer

Products and customers

  • Core and high-potential categories grew: The Core business rose mid-teens. High-potential categories, Women's Apparel, Outerwear and Handbags, rose more than 20% in constant currency, faster than total company growth. Source
  • Average unit retail rose 15%: AUR rose 15% across direct-to-consumer, above expectations. Management cited full-price selling trends and fewer planned promotions. Source
  • Social media followers passed 70 million: Social media followers rose by a high-single digit percentage. Management also cited higher brand awareness, consideration and net promoter score. Source

Costs, margins and pricing

  • Gross margin rose to 73.7%: Gross profit was $1.4 billion and gross margin was 73.7%, 140 basis points above the prior year. Source
  • Tariffs and product costs weighed: Management said AUR growth and favorable channel and geographic mix more than offset higher tariff and other product costs in gross margin. Source
  • Operating expenses rose 14%: The adjusted operating expense rate was 55.0%, compared with 55.2% a year earlier. Spending rose with higher marketing investment. Source
  • Margin expansion ran above expectations: Adjusted gross and operating margin expansion came in above the company's prior view, with full-price demand and expense discipline offsetting higher marketing investment. Source

“These are the values that our teams around the world embrace every day, that will endure as we continue to grow and evolve.”

Ralph Lauren, Executive Chairman and Chief Creative Officer

Demand and the order book

  • Wholesale growth accelerated to mid-teens: Wholesale sales grew mid-teens, which management linked to healthy underlying demand. Source
  • Account resumption and timing lifted wholesale: North America wholesale rose 22%, with about 15 points from resumed shipments to a luxury wholesale account. Europe wholesale rose 11%, including about 5 points from earlier shipment timing. Source
  • Inventory ended down 5%: Inventory was $1.2 billion at quarter end, down 5% from the prior year period, compared with $1.0 billion at the end of fiscal 2026. Source

Capital, cash and returns to shareholders

  • Cash and investments of $1.9 billion: The company ended the quarter with $1.9 billion in cash and short-term investments and $1.2 billion in total debt, versus $2.3 billion and $1.6 billion a year earlier. Source
  • Over $300 million returned: Returns came through the quarterly dividend and repurchases of Class A common stock. The company repurchased about $250 million of stock in the quarter. Source
  • Cash paid for dividends and repurchases: Cash payments were $54.8 million for dividends and $325.1 million for repurchases, including shares surrendered for tax withholdings. Source

Stores and strategy

  • Opened 22 owned and partnered stores: Openings included The Grove in Los Angeles, Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto, Istanbul, and Polo stores in Sydney and Perth, Australia. Source
  • Long-term priorities: consumers, core, cities: Management stated its long-term priorities as recruiting new and younger consumers, strengthening the core and high-potential categories, and developing key city ecosystems. Source
  • Next Generation Transformation costs rose: Next Generation Transformation project charges were $20.8 million, against $11.0 million a year earlier, and are excluded from adjusted results. Source

Coming up, as management said on 6 August 2026

  • First-half margin expansion to lead: Gross and operating margin expansion is still expected to be stronger in the first half, largely from marketing activation timing and a lower tariff rate. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
New consumers acquired in direct-to-consumer businesses Source1.5 million
Global direct-to-consumer comparable store sales Sourceincreased low-double-digits

Risks management discussed

  • External: Management cited tariffs, inflation, consumer spending headwinds, supply chain disruptions and currency volatility as factors behind the guidance. Source
  • Financial: Guidance excludes any potential restructuring-related and other net charges that may be incurred in future periods. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Ahead: Management said first-quarter revenue came in ahead of the company's expectations. Source
  • Not stated: North America wholesale included the previously announced shift of shipments from the fourth quarter of Fiscal 2026. Source
  • On track: The effective tax rate of about 23% matched the company's guidance on both reported and adjusted bases. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.