American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (NYSE:AEO) Short Interest Down 24.3% in December

American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (NYSE:AEO) saw a large drop in short interest during the month of December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totaling 16,663,626 shares, a drop of 24.3% from the November 30th total of 21,999,157 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 13,513,105 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.2 days. Approximately 10.8% of the shares of the company are short sold. Approximately 10.8% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 13,513,105 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.2 days.

Insider Activity at American Eagle Outfitters

In related news, Director Cary D. Mcmillan sold 2,945 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, October 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $16.95, for a total transaction of $49,917.75. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Jennifer M. Foyle sold 243,047 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, December 5th. The stock was 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. This trade represents a 55.90% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 8.70% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL lifted its holdings in American Eagle Outfitters by 50.0% during the 3rd 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 during the last quarter. CIBC Bancorp USA Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of American Eagle Outfitters during the 3rd quarter worth about $297,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd lifted its stake in shares of American Eagle Outfitters by 68.8% during the 3rd quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 3,116 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $53,000 after buying an additional 1,270 shares during the last quarter. Oberweis Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of American Eagle Outfitters during the 3rd quarter worth about $8,281,000. Finally, Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC acquired a new position in American Eagle Outfitters in the 3rd quarter valued at about $188,000. 97.33% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

American Eagle Outfitters Stock Down 0.8%

Shares of AEO stock traded down $0.23 on Tuesday, hitting $26.70. 4,530,923 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 9,943,359. The company has a current ratio of 1.63, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.02 and a beta of 1.44. American Eagle Outfitters has a fifty-two week low of $9.27 and a fifty-two week high of $28.15. The business has a 50-day moving average of $21.02 and a 200 day moving average of $16.14.

American Eagle Outfitters (NYSE:AEO) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, December 2nd. The apparel retailer reported $0.53 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.43 by $0.10. American Eagle Outfitters had a return on equity of 13.82% and a net margin of 3.90%.The firm had revenue of $1.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.32 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.48 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 2.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts anticipate that American Eagle Outfitters will post 1.7 EPS for the current year.

American Eagle Outfitters Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts recently weighed in on AEO shares. Citigroup boosted their price objective on shares of American Eagle Outfitters from $18.00 to $23.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 3rd. BTIG Research initiated coverage on American Eagle Outfitters in a research report on Thursday, September 18th. They set a “neutral” rating for the company. Barclays upped their price target on American Eagle Outfitters from $14.00 to $20.00 and gave the company an “underweight” 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, Bank of America raised their target price on shares of American Eagle Outfitters from $11.00 to $18.00 and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 3rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has issued a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $21.45.

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.