Abercrombie & Fitch Company (NYSE:ANF) Receives Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

Shares of Abercrombie & Fitch Company (NYSE:ANF) have earned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the twelve research firms that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $124.60.

Several research firms have recently weighed in on ANF. Citigroup raised Abercrombie & Fitch from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their target price for the company from $90.00 to $135.00 in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Abercrombie & Fitch in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on shares of Abercrombie & Fitch in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $120.00 target price on the stock. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Abercrombie & Fitch from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, December 27th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded shares of Abercrombie & Fitch from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 25th.

Abercrombie & Fitch Stock Down 2.9%

Abercrombie & Fitch stock opened at $93.75 on Friday. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $108.41 and its 200-day moving average price is $93.46. The company has a market cap of $4.30 billion, a PE ratio of 8.99 and a beta of 1.17. Abercrombie & Fitch has a twelve month low of $65.40 and a twelve month high of $133.11.

Abercrombie & Fitch (NYSE:ANF) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 26th. The apparel retailer reported $2.36 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.14 by $0.22. Abercrombie & Fitch had a return on equity of 38.01% and a net margin of 10.07%.The company had revenue of $1.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.28 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.50 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 6.8% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Abercrombie & Fitch will post 10.62 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Abercrombie & Fitch

In related news, CEO Fran Horowitz sold 100,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $95.40, for a total transaction of $9,540,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 505,303 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $48,205,906.20. This trade represents a 16.52% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 2.29% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Abercrombie & Fitch

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Abercrombie & Fitch by 181.6% during the second quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 352 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 227 shares during the period. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in Abercrombie & Fitch in the 2nd quarter valued at about $38,000. Blue Trust Inc. bought a new position in Abercrombie & Fitch in the 3rd quarter worth about $38,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. increased its position in shares of Abercrombie & Fitch by 108.2% during the third quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 481 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $41,000 after acquiring an additional 250 shares during the period. Finally, Bessemer Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Abercrombie & Fitch by 268.0% during the third quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 666 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $56,000 after acquiring an additional 485 shares in the last quarter.

Abercrombie & Fitch Company Profile

Abercrombie & Fitch Co (NYSE: ANF) is an American specialty retailer that designs, markets and sells casual apparel and accessories for men, women and children. Founded in 1892 by David T. Abercrombie and Ezra Fitch, the company evolved from an outdoor gear outfitter to a global lifestyle brand renowned for its relaxed, preppy aesthetic. Its product assortment includes tops, bottoms, outerwear, intimates, swimwear, fragrances and personal care items.

The company operates under multiple brand names, including Abercrombie & Fitch, Abercrombie Kids, Hollister and Gilly Hicks, each targeting distinct consumer segments from teens to young adults.