Nike and Ralph Lauren to Open Near 52-Week Highs

Lots of stocks hit 52-week highs yesterday as the markets rose. Among them were leading footwear maker Nike (NYSE: NKE) and lifestyle products maker Polo Ralph Lauren (NYSE: RL), which reached $95.93 and $159.37 per share, respectively, in Monday's trading session.

Nike said recently that it plans to double its sales revenue in China by 2015. Strong results in the most recent quarter prompted speculation about a potential dividend boost. The company produces and markets footwear, apparel, performance equipment, and accessories worldwide. Founded in 1964, Nike now has a market cap of $44.1 billion.

The price-to-earnings ratio is higher than the industry average, but so is Nike's operating margin. The long-term EPS growth forecast is 11.6% and the return on equity is 22.7%. Nike's dividend yield is 1.3%. The share price is more than 19% higher than six months ago. The stock has outperformed competitors such as Crocs (NASDAQ: CROX) and Deckers Outdoor (NASDAQ: DECK) over that time.

Polo Ralph Lauren saw George Soros doubled his holding of this luxury retailer in the second quarter. The company is expected to expand rapidly in Europe and Asia, and revenues in the current fiscal year are forecast to be up 18.8%. The maker of apparel, accessories and domestics has a market cap of $14.6 billion and it was founded in 1967.

Earnings per share are anticipated to grow 13.9% over the next five years and the return on equity is 20.5%. Its operating margin is also higher than the industry average, and its dividend yield is 0.5%. The share price is more than 20% higher than six months ago and up more than 42% year to date. Since the beginning of the year, the stock has outperformed Jones Group (NYSE: JNY) and Liz Claiborne (NYSE: LIZ).