American Eagle Outfitters (NYSE:AEO) Lowered to “Hold” Rating by Zacks Research

Zacks Research downgraded shares of American Eagle Outfitters (NYSE:AEO) from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a report published on Tuesday morning,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other brokerages have also recently commented on AEO. Citigroup increased 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 note on Friday, March 6th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $23.00 target price on shares of American Eagle Outfitters in a report on Wednesday, December 3rd. UBS Group raised their target price on shares of American Eagle Outfitters from $31.00 to $35.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. TD Cowen reduced their price target on American Eagle Outfitters from $27.00 to $21.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Friday, March 6th. Finally, Bank of America raised their price objective on American Eagle Outfitters from $11.00 to $18.00 and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 3rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, American Eagle Outfitters has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $21.75.

American Eagle Outfitters Price Performance

NYSE:AEO opened at $18.15 on Tuesday. American Eagle Outfitters has a 52-week low of $9.27 and a 52-week high of $28.46. The company has a market cap of $3.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.21, a P/E/G ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 1.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a current ratio of 1.52. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $24.20 and its 200 day simple moving average is $20.83.

American Eagle Outfitters (NYSE:AEO) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, March 4th. The apparel retailer reported $0.84 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.71 by $0.13. The business had revenue of $1.76 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.74 billion. American Eagle Outfitters had a net margin of 3.49% and a return on equity of 16.76%. The firm’s revenue was up 12.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.54 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that American Eagle Outfitters will post 1.7 EPS for the current fiscal year.

American Eagle Outfitters Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 24th. Investors of record on Friday, April 10th will be issued a dividend of $0.125 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 10th. This represents a $0.50 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.8%. American Eagle Outfitters’s payout ratio is presently 44.64%.

Insider Transactions at American Eagle Outfitters

In related news, Director Noel Joseph Spiegel sold 1,896 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $25.66, for a total value of $48,651.36. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Cary D. Mcmillan sold 1,896 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $26.21, for a total transaction of $49,694.16. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 8.70% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On American Eagle Outfitters

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new stake in American Eagle Outfitters during the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd acquired a new position in American Eagle Outfitters in the 4th quarter valued at $32,000. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL increased its position 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 worth $26,000 after buying an additional 500 shares during the period. Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of American Eagle Outfitters by 177.2% during the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 1,774 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $47,000 after buying an additional 1,134 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Quadrant Capital Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of American Eagle Outfitters by 31.8% during the fourth quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 1,852 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $49,000 after buying an additional 447 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 97.33% of the company’s stock.

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.