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

Shares of American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (NYSE:AEO) have been assigned a consensus rating of “Hold” from the sixteen ratings firms that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, fourteen have assigned a hold recommendation and one has given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price objective among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $21.75.

Several research firms have recently weighed in on AEO. UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of American Eagle Outfitters from $31.00 to $35.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of American Eagle Outfitters from $23.00 to $24.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. TD Cowen lowered their price objective on shares of American Eagle Outfitters from $27.00 to $21.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Barclays raised shares of American Eagle Outfitters from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and set a $19.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded American Eagle Outfitters from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, April 25th.

American Eagle Outfitters Stock Down 1.4%

Shares of NYSE AEO opened at $16.67 on Friday. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $18.39 and its 200 day simple moving average is $21.15. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.88, a PEG ratio of 1.20 and a beta of 1.38. American Eagle Outfitters has a 52-week low of $9.27 and a 52-week high of $28.46.

American Eagle Outfitters (NYSE:AEO) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, March 4th. The apparel retailer reported $0.84 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.71 by $0.13. The business had revenue of $1.81 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.74 billion. American Eagle Outfitters had a return on equity of 16.76% and a net margin of 3.49%.American Eagle Outfitters’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.54 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that American Eagle Outfitters will post 1.76 earnings per share for the current year.

American Eagle Outfitters Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 24th. Investors of record on Friday, April 10th were paid a $0.125 dividend. This represents a $0.50 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, April 10th. American Eagle Outfitters’s dividend payout ratio is currently 44.64%.

Insider Transactions at American Eagle Outfitters

In related news, Director Cary D. Mcmillan sold 2,887 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $17.23, for a total transaction of $49,743.01. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director Noel Joseph Spiegel sold 2,887 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $17.32, for a total transaction of $50,002.84. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Company insiders own 8.70% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On American Eagle Outfitters

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of American Eagle Outfitters during the fourth quarter worth $31,000. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd purchased a new position in American Eagle Outfitters in the fourth quarter valued at about $32,000. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL grew its stake in American Eagle Outfitters by 50.0% in the third quarter. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL now owns 1,500 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 500 shares in the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its position in American Eagle Outfitters by 177.2% in the 4th quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 1,774 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 1,134 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Quadrant Capital Group LLC raised its stake in shares of American Eagle Outfitters by 31.8% during the 4th quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 1,852 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $49,000 after purchasing an additional 447 shares in the last quarter. 97.33% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About American Eagle Outfitters

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.