American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (NYSE:AEO) Receives Average Recommendation of “Hold” from Brokerages

Shares of American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (NYSE:AEO) have earned a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the fifteen ratings firms that are covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have issued a hold rating, one has assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price objective among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $21.4545.

A number of research firms recently weighed in on AEO. BTIG Research initiated coverage on shares of American Eagle Outfitters in a report on Thursday, September 18th. They issued a “neutral” rating on the stock. UBS Group upped their target price on shares of American Eagle Outfitters from $22.00 to $31.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Citigroup raised their price target on shares of American Eagle Outfitters from $18.00 to $23.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 3rd. Wall Street Zen upgraded American Eagle Outfitters from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, September 13th. Finally, Cowen reissued a “hold” rating on shares of American Eagle Outfitters in a report on Wednesday, December 3rd.

Insider Buying and Selling at American Eagle Outfitters

In related news, insider Jennifer M. Foyle sold 243,047 shares of American Eagle Outfitters stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $24.30, for a total transaction of $5,906,042.10. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 191,751 shares in the company, valued at $4,659,549.30. The trade was a 55.90% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 8.70% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On American Eagle Outfitters

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of AEO. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL lifted its stake in shares of American Eagle Outfitters by 50.0% in the 3rd quarter. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL now owns 1,500 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 500 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in shares of American Eagle Outfitters during the second quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Strs Ohio bought a new stake in American Eagle Outfitters during the third quarter worth approximately $36,000. Federated Hermes Inc. lifted its position in American Eagle Outfitters by 151.0% in the second quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 3,848 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 2,315 shares during the period. Finally, McIlrath & Eck LLC acquired a new stake in American Eagle Outfitters in the third quarter worth approximately $39,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.33% of the company’s stock.

American Eagle Outfitters Trading Down 0.1%

NYSE:AEO opened at $26.36 on Monday. American Eagle Outfitters has a 12-month low of $9.27 and a 12-month high of $28.15. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.47 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.72 and a beta of 1.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a current ratio of 1.63 and a quick ratio of 0.59. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $21.63 and a 200 day simple moving average of $16.39.

American Eagle Outfitters (NYSE:AEO) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, December 2nd. The apparel retailer reported $0.53 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.43 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $1.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.32 billion. American Eagle Outfitters had a return on equity of 13.82% and a net margin of 3.90%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.48 earnings per share. Equities research analysts predict that American Eagle Outfitters will post 1.7 EPS for the current year.

American Eagle Outfitters Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 23rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 9th will be paid a $0.125 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 9th. This represents a $0.50 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.9%. American Eagle Outfitters’s dividend payout ratio is presently 43.10%.

American Eagle Outfitters Company Profile

American Eagle Outfitters, Inc (NYSE: AEO) is a leading American specialty retailer offering apparel, accessories and personal care products for men and women. The company’s flagship brand, American Eagle, focuses on casualwear including denim, tops, outerwear and accessories targeted primarily at teens and young adults. In addition to its core apparel lines, the company operates the Aerie brand of intimates, loungewear and swimwear, which has gained recognition for its body-positive marketing and inclusive sizing.

American Eagle Outfitters conducts business through a combination of over 900 brick-and-mortar stores in North America and Greater China, complemented by a growing e-commerce platform that serves customers around the globe.