Polo Ralph Lauren Executive Summary Ralph Lauren is one of fashions leading retailers, who has had great success in creating great demand for their clothing line. In 2003 the fashion industry struggled with the plummeting economy, and a major concern was cutting costs while gaining productivity. Polo Ralph Lauren also felt the economic pressures, the company was able to compensate by targeting European and Japanese markets. According to Polo Ralph Lauren, in terms of growth strategies, “We have a global retail initiative that includes selectively opening new stores and acquiring licensed stores in key markets.” Another key strategy is to continue expanding products to new markets. This is the most important key for this companies futuristically success. The third strategy for growth is the need to improve operational efficiency, in terms of management and organizational components. This will allow Polo Ralph Lauren to create an increased functionality in the company. The company has already set out to do this by creating a centralized headquarters in Switzerland instead of setting up 5 headquarters internationally. The final key for growth is acquiring “direct ownership of those businesses where our expertise and competencies provide the highest value, while continuing to seek new licensing partnerships where appropriate”. With these goals for growth set before Polo Ralph Lauren the company will gain a great momentum heading into Fiscal Year 2004 and 2005

Polo Ralph Lauren http://investor.polo.com/

Polo Ralph Lauren Introduction Chief Executive Officer: Ralph Lauren Home Office: 650 Madison Avenue New York, NY 10022 • Date of latest Fiscal Year: March 29, 2003 • Polo Ralph Lauren sets the latest trends in clothing fashion, fragrance, and home decor • Geographic Locations: U.S, E.U, Japan

Polo Ralph Lauren Audit Report Independent Auditors: Deloitte & Touche LLP The auditors believe that Polo Ralph Lauren conformed with the Accounting Principles. There were changes in the accounting methods for goodwill and intangible asset accounts, in order to meet Accounting Standards for the 2003 Fiscal Year.

Polo Ralph Lauren Stock Market Information Price Per Stock: $31.5 Trading Range: $31.11 Dividend Per Share: $.20 Date of Information: March 29, 2003 I would not suggest buying stock in Polo Ralph Lauren based on the low amount a stockholder yields. However, the shareholder might expect some of their returns to come from increases in the end price of the shares.

Polo Ralph Lauren Industry Situation and Company Plans Bases on Polo Ralph Lauren’s three-year analysis, it seems the company has increased dramatically in sales since Fiscal Year 2001. Reasons for this include targeting markets in Japan and Europe, and the virtual Ralph Lauren website. Both changes have allowed the company to target great audiences with their products. Ralph Lauren has had some setbacks. For Fiscal Year 2003, a serious lawsuit against Ralph Lauren has created problems Futuristically, Polo Ralph Lauren plans to continue developing European and Japanese markets through a process of consolidating the company from having “5 international headquarters in 3 countries into one central European headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland”. In order to effectively centralize the International front, Ralph Lauren plans to upgrade the information support systems already in place to be more efficient and effective. Ralph Lauren expects successful long-term growth from these strategies. Another avenue for growth is in fashion. This year, traditional tailored suits will be the latest trend in the fashion industry. This is one of Ralph Lauren’s specialties. Sales are expected to rise in all quarters as a result. Also, Polo Ralph Lauren recently launched “a heritage-inspired collection with a weekend influence. The new line has exceeded expectations, domestically and internationally”.

Polo Ralph Lauren Income Statement Format: Multistep Comment: Although Polo Ralph Lauren has increased overall revenue, we also see a dramatic increase in expenses as well.

Polo Ralph Lauren Balance Sheet Comment: Overall, Polo Ralph Lauren seems to be doing better in Fiscal Year 2003. However, there are problems when looking at increases in Liabilities. We see major increases in short-term borrowing and Accounts Payable. This poses problems since one of the goals for Fiscal Year 2003 was to reduce short and long term debt.

Polo Ralph Lauren Statement of Cash Flow Cash Flow operations are more than net income Polo Ralph Lauren is growing through investing in property and equipment, acquisitions, and long-term investments Polo Ralph Lauren’s primary source of financing is long-term loans Cash has increased for Fiscal Year 2003

Polo Ralph Lauren Accounting Policies The Securities & Exchange Commission developed the following conditions that must be met before revenue is recognized Persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists Delivery has occurred or services have been rendered The seller’s price to the buyer is fixed or determinable Collectibility is reasonable assured

Polo Ralph Lauren Financial Analysis Liquidity Ratios Working Capital: $665,660 Shows Current Assets exceeds Current Liabilities Current Ratio: 2.33 Measures short-term debt paying ability Receivable Turnover: 6.002 Measures relative size of Accounts Receivable and effectiveness of Credit Policies Average Days’ Sales Uncollected: 60.81 Measures the number of days to collect Receivables Inventory Turnover: 3.45 Measures the size of Inventory Average Days’ Inventory on Hand: 105.8 Measures the number of days taken to sell Inventory

Polo Ralph Lauren Financial Analysis Profitability Ratios Profit Margin: 7.9% Measures Net Income produced by each dollar of sales Asset Turnover: 1.16 How efficient assets are used to produce sales Return on Assets: 9% Measure of overall Profitability Return on Equity: 15.8% Measure of profitability of Investments by the Stock Holders

Polo Ralph Lauren Financial Analysis Solvency Ratio Debt to Equity: 68.7% Measure of capital structure and leverage. Polo Ralph Lauren is mostly run by Stockholders not Creditors.

Polo Ralph Lauren Financial Analysis Market Strength Ratios Price/Earnings Per Share: 17.4 Measures Investors confidence in a company Dividend Yield: 1.77 Measures a stock’s current return to an investor through dividends By: Josie Ghosal Financial Accounting 2021