Analyst Price Target News: Workday, Ralph Lauren - September 17th, 2025

By: Matthew Otto

Workday Expands AI Capabilities With Sana Acquisition Amid Rising Calls for AI Oversight

Workday announced plans to acquire artificial intelligence firm Sana for about $1.1 billion, with the deal expected to close in the fourth quarter of its fiscal year 2026, ending January 31. The acquisition adds to a series of AI-driven transactions by the company, including purchases of Paradox and Flowise, as it looks to expand its cloud-based human resources software offerings.

Workday currently serves more than 10,000 customers across industries, supporting over 65 million users globally and processing more than 800 billion transactions annually. Over 2,000 organizations use its AI-enhanced financial management applications, while three-quarters of its customer base consists of companies with fewer than 3,500 employees.

The acquisition comes amid rising concerns about AI’s broader social risks. At a U.S. Senate hearing convened by Senator Josh Hawley, parents whose children died or were hospitalized after interacting with chatbots called for regulation, including mandatory age verification, crisis protocols, and prohibitions on romantic or harmful interactions with minors. At least four lawsuits have been filed in California, Texas, and Colorado against companies such as OpenAI and Character.AI, linked to youth suicides between 2023 and 2024.

Diverse Analyst Ratings Push Workday’s Average Price Target Up 5.1%

Piper Sandler analyst Brent Bracelin upgraded from Underweight to Neutral and the price target from $220 to $235.
Needham analyst Scott Berg reiterated a Buy rating and the price target at $300.
Cantor Fitzgerald maintained an Overweight stance together with a $265 price target.
Stifel analyst Brad Reback reaffirmed a Hold rating, while setting a $255 price target.

Which Analyst has the best track record to show on WDAY?

Analyst Patrick Walravens (JMP) currently has the highest performing score on WDAY with 13/20 (65%) price target fulfillment ratio. His price targets carry an average of $93.73 (42.36%) potential upside. Workday stock price reaches these price targets on average within 162 days.

Ralph Lauren Outlines Strategic Growth Plan and Financial Outlook Through 2028

Ralph Lauren outlined its “Next Great Chapter: Drive” plan at Investor Day in New York, providing financial projections through fiscal 2028. The company expects revenue to grow at a compound annual rate of 4% to 6% from its fiscal 2025 base, with operating profit projected to expand at a faster pace.

Operating margin is targeted to rise by 100 to 150 basis points, or roughly one to one and a half percentage points, over the three-year period. Capital expenditures are forecasted at 4% to 5% of revenue annually, which based on fiscal 2025 results would equate to approximately $250 million to $300 million per year.

The plan focuses on three growth drivers: expanding global brand positioning, strengthening core products while accelerating growth in under-penetrated categories, and scaling operations in the top 30 international cities, with future expansion into another 20 cities. Ralph Lauren also announced a cumulative return of at least $2 billion in excess free cash flow by fiscal 2028.

Analyst Ratings Steady as Ralph Lauren Price Targets Shift +0.4% on Average

Barclays analyst Adrienne Yih maintained an Overweight rating while lowering the price target from $360 to $353.
Telsey Advisory Group analyst Dana Telsey reiterated an Outperform rating and raised the price target from $335 to $350.

Which Analyst has the best track record to show on RL?

Analyst Dana Telsey (TELSEY ADVISORY) currently has the highest performing score on RL with 26/28 (92.86%) price target fulfillment ratio. His price targets carry an average of $51.66 (18.23%) potential upside. Ralph Lauren stock price reaches these price targets on average within 256 days.

Ferguson Reports Higher Q4 Earnings, Announces Fiscal Year-End Change to December

Ferguson reported fourth-quarter sales of $8.5 billion, a 6.9% increase from the prior year, though slightly below the consensus estimate of $8.67 billion. Gross margin improved to 31.7%, up 70 basis points, while operating profit reached $925 million with a 10.9% margin.

Earnings per share came in at $3.55, up 59.2% from $2.23 a year earlier, while adjusted EPS was $3.48, which exceeded analyst expectations of $3.29 by $0.19. The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.83 per share, repurchased $189 million in shares, and completed four acquisitions during the quarter.

For the full year ended July 31, 2025, Ferguson reported sales of $30.8 billion, an increase of 3.8% from the prior year. Gross margin expanded 20 basis points to 30.7%, while operating profit declined 1.7% to $2.6 billion, with operating margin at 8.5%. Diluted EPS for the year was $9.32, up 9.3% from $8.53, with adjusted EPS of $9.94, a 2.6% increase. The company generated $1.9 billion in operating cash flow, paid $3.32 per share in dividends, invested $301 million in nine acquisitions generating $300 million in annualized revenue, and repurchased $948 million in shares, leaving $1 billion authorized for further repurchases.

Ferguson also announced a change to its fiscal year-end from July 31 to December 31, with a five-month transition period in late 2025. Guidance for calendar 2025 calls for mid-single digit revenue growth and an operating margin between 9.2% and 9.6%.

Analyst Ratings Steady, Price Targets Rise for Ferguson Avg. +9.3%

Wells Fargo analyst Sam Reid maintained an Overweight rating and raised the price target from $250 to $275.
Oppenheimer analyst Scitt Scgbeeberger lifted the price target to $255.
Baird analyst David Manthey increased the target, moving it to $262.
RBC Capital analyst Mike Dahl raised the price target to $243 from $231.
UBS analyst John Lovallo maintained a Neutral rating while boosting the target from $204 to $225.

Which Analyst has the best track record to show on FERG?

Analyst Patrick Baumann (JPMORGAN) currently has the highest performing score on FERG with 6/6 (100%) price target fulfillment ratio. His price targets carry an average of $-13.17 (-5.53%) potential downside. Ferguson stock price reaches these price targets on average within 42 days.