Is RL or WAT cheaper?

On trailing earnings, RL is cheaper: RL trades at a 26.92 P/E and WAT at 45.81.

Which has grown faster, RL or WAT?

Over the past five years, RL grew revenue faster — RL at a 13.01% CAGR versus WAT at 8.48%.

Does RL or WAT pay a bigger dividend?

RL pays a dividend (0.90% yield) while WAT does not currently pay one.

Is RL or WAT more profitable?

WAT runs the higher net margin — RL at 11.60% versus WAT at 11.91%.

Which has been the better investment, RL or WAT?

Over the past 10-year, RL delivered the higher annualized total return — RL at 17.96% versus WAT at 10.42%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Ralph Lauren Corporation (RL) vs Waters Corporation (WAT)

RL leads on 12 of 15 compared metrics.

A side-by-side comparison of Ralph Lauren Corporation and Waters Corporation across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of June 17, 2026. The ● marks the stronger figure on each row (cheaper multiple, higher margin/return).

Ralph Lauren Corporation

$25.01B

$406.75Consumer Cyclical

Total return — RL vs WAT

growth of $100 · last 29y

RL +1200.2%WAT +4359.7%WAT compounded faster

RL WAT

RL vs WAT: by the numbers

•RL is the larger company ($25.01B vs $23.53B market cap).
•RL trades at the lower earnings multiple (26.92 vs 45.81 P/E).
•WAT converts more revenue to profit (11.91% vs 11.60% net margin).
•RL grew revenue faster over the past five years (13.01% vs 8.48% CAGR).
•RL pays a dividend (0.90% yield) while WAT does not currently pay one.

Which is better, RL or WAT?

Metric tally: RL 12 · WAT 3

It depends on what you're optimizing for:

ValueRL(lower P/E)

GrowthRL(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)

QualityRL(higher ROIC)

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	RL	WAT
P/E ratio	26.92●	45.81
Forward P/E	22.18	21.96
P/S ratio	3.12●	7.85
P/B ratio	8.92	1.94●
PEG ratio	0.71●	75.62
EV / EBITDA	18.67●	37.56
FCF yield	2.94%●	0.89%

Profitability

Metric	RL	WAT
Gross margin	69.87%●	55.02%
Operating margin	14.53%	17.08%●
Net margin	11.60%	11.91%●
ROE	33.13%●	2.94%
ROIC	19.62%●	17.57%

Dividends

Metric	RL	WAT
Dividend yield	0.90%	—
Payout ratio	23.67%	—

Growth (annualized)

Metric	RL	WAT
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	13.01%●	8.48%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	20.37%●	5.16%
FCF CAGR (5Y)	22.25%●	-17.63%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	31.17%●	0.82%

Frequently asked

Which is better, RL or WAT?: It depends on your goal. value: RL (lower P/E); growth: RL (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); quality: RL (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, RL leads 12 to 3.
Is RL or WAT cheaper?: On trailing earnings, RL is cheaper: RL trades at a 26.92 P/E and WAT at 45.81.
Which has grown faster, RL or WAT?: Over the past five years, RL grew revenue faster — RL at a 13.01% CAGR versus WAT at 8.48%.
Does RL or WAT pay a bigger dividend?: RL pays a dividend (0.90% yield) while WAT does not currently pay one.
Is RL or WAT more profitable?: WAT runs the higher net margin — RL at 11.60% versus WAT at 11.91%.
Which has been the better investment, RL or WAT?: Over the past 10-year, RL delivered the higher annualized total return — RL at 17.96% versus WAT at 10.42%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full RL analysis Full WAT analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

Ralph Lauren P/E ratio Waters P/E ratio Ralph Lauren dividend yield Waters dividend yield Ralph Lauren ROE Waters ROE Ralph Lauren operating margin Waters operating margin Ralph Lauren revenue growth Waters revenue growth Ralph Lauren free cash flow Waters free cash flow

Ralph Lauren & Waters appear in these rankings

Highest ROE Stocks Highest ROIC Stocks Best 10-Year Total Return Stocks

Figures are sourced from reported fundamentals and the latest end-of-day price. This comparison is informational only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not predict future results. See our methodology. Compiled by TGMCharts Research · data verified June 17, 2026.