RALPH LAUREN CORP (RL) — payout ratio, three ways
Fiscal year ending 2026-03-28 · sector Consumer discretionary · payout ratios computed from SEC filings, not taken from a data vendor.
| Basis | Payout | Why it differs |
|---|---|---|
| GAAP earnings | 24.2% | The figure most screeners publish. |
| Operating cash flow | 18.8% | Before capital spending, so it understates the payout that free cash flow shows. |
| Free cash flow | 29.0% | What is left after maintaining the business. |
Spread between highest and lowest: 10 percentage points. Same filings, different denominators.
Coverage rating 42 / 100 — Tight. ? Peer standing 32/50Direction 10/30Stability 0/20
Free cash flow payout, last 6 years
| Fiscal year | Payout |
|---|---|
| 2026-03-28 | 29.0% |
| 2025-03-29 | 19.7% |
| 2024-03-30 | 21.5% |
| 2023-04-01 | 102.5% |
| 2022-04-02 | 27.3% |
| 2021-03-27 | 18.2% |
Coverage worsened sharply this year, 19.7% to 29.0%, after no clear trend before it. One year is not a trend, but it is worth knowing which direction the last one moved.
Among the 45 consumer discretionary companies here, 64% pay out a larger share on this basis.
The arithmetic
- GAAP earnings — dividends declared per share $3.65 ÷ diluted EPS $15.11
- Operating cash flow — dividends paid $216.5m ÷ operating cash flow $1,154.2m
- Free cash flow — dividends paid $216.5m ÷ (operating cash flow $1,154.2m − capex $408.1m)
Where the figures came from
- 10-K filed 2026-05-21 · accession
0001628280-26-037074
Every one is public at sec.gov and free to check. That is the point — you should not have to take my word for any of it.
Computed by an open pipeline reading SEC XBRL directly. If any number here looks wrong to you, tell me — that is more useful to me than agreement.