Ralph Lauren Surges Forward: Raises Outlook Following 17% Uptick in Second Quarter

Ralph Lauren is making steady progress. The U.S. company closed the second quarter of its fiscal 2026, ended September 27th, with 17% growth in sales to $2.01 billion. This increase was driven by a 12% rise in average price and the strength of its direct-to-consumer channel.

Growth was broad-based across all regions, with Europe leading the way with a 22% increase, followed by Asia, up 17%, and North America, up 13%. Like-for-like sales in company-owned stores increased by 13%, with double-digit growth in both the physical and digital channels.

Net income for the period rose 40% to $207 million, while adjusted operating income reached $283 million. Gross margin for the quarter was 68%, up one percentage point from a year earlier, driven by improved product mix, higher prices and lower raw material costs. Ralph Lauren ended the quarter with $1.6 billion in cash and investments and total debt of $1.2 billion.

By category, the company highlighted progress in women’s fashion, outerwear and handbags, as well as the expansion of the core business, which continued to grow at double-digit rates.

Ralph Lauren increased its sales to $3.79 billion in the first six months of the year.

For the first six months of the year as a whole, the company reported sales of $3.79 billion dollars, up 7% compared to the same period last year. Net profit for the first six months was $302 million, up 19%, and the adjusted operating margin reached 12.9%.

After an above-expected first half, the company has revised its full-year guidance upward, with Ralph Lauren now expecting growth of between 5% and 7% at constant rates.

The group, chaired by Ralph Lauren and led by Patrice Louvet, maintains its Next Great Chapter: Drive roadmap, focused on raising brand awareness, optimizing its distribution network and consolidating its global positioning. Coinciding with the presentation of results, the company’s CEO stressed that growth is based on geographic diversification and the consistency of the direct-to-consumer model, and anticipated a more moderate environment in the second half of the year.