Deep discounts are everywhere on Ralph Lauren fashions — and on the company’s stock, too.
Shares of the New York-based apparel giant fell to a 52-week low Wednesday after execs admitted heavy markdowns are hammering profits.
The all-American clothing label, whose namesake designer has long been inspired by the golden age of Hollywood and the Old West, cut its forecast for margins as it scrambles to clear inventory left over from a lackluster holiday.
The news comes a day after Ralph got the royal treatment in The Post, alongside designer billionaire counterparts Michael Kors and Tory Burch.
On Wednesday Stores including Macy’s and Saks Fifth Avenue were advertising online discounts of more than 50 percent on Ralph Lauren togs. On its own site, the label had markdowns of up to 75 percent off; in one instance, a Purple Label men’s sport shirt was priced at $119, down from $395.
“We are just being a little bit cautious with regard to the environment we are operating in,” Chief Administrative Officer Chris Peterson told analysts on a conference call.
Clothiers have been slammed across the board by skittish consumers who clamped down on spending during the holidays.
As it scrambles to clear mounds of unsold goods, Ralph Lauren now expects operating margins will drop by more than a percentage point for the fiscal year that ends next month from a healthy 16.5 percent rate.
Shares of the global fashion empire tumbled to a year low of $146 in intraday trades following Peterson’s comments. Earlier in the session, the shares had risen as much as 5 percent as the firm raised its sales forecast on better-than-expected quarterly results.
Ralph Lauren shares closed trading at $148.71, down 3.6 percent.
“We are encouraged by Ralph Lauren’s top line momentum … however the ongoing margin pressure keeps us sidelined for now as earnings-per-share revisions remain downward,” analyst Evren Kopelman of Wells Fargo said.