Abercrombie & Fitch Company (NYSE:ANF) Short Interest Down 17.9% in January

Abercrombie & Fitch Company (NYSE:ANF) saw a significant decline in short interest during the month of January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 3,653,140 shares, a decline of 17.9% from the December 31st total of 4,449,512 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 2,253,803 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.6 days. Approximately 8.2% of the company’s stock are sold short. Approximately 8.2% of the company’s stock are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 2,253,803 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.6 days.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have commented on the stock. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of Abercrombie & Fitch from $78.00 to $95.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 26th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Abercrombie & Fitch in a report on Thursday, October 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of Abercrombie & Fitch from $130.00 to $128.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Barclays boosted their price target on shares of Abercrombie & Fitch from $94.00 to $115.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded shares of Abercrombie & Fitch from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 25th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $124.60.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Abercrombie & Fitch news, CEO Fran Horowitz sold 103,200 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $98.53, for a total value of $10,168,296.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 605,303 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $59,640,504.59. This represents a 14.57% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 253,200 shares of company stock worth $24,764,296. Insiders own 2.29% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Abercrombie & Fitch

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its stake in Abercrombie & Fitch by 181.6% in the 2nd quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 352 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 227 shares during the period. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Abercrombie & Fitch in the second quarter valued at about $38,000. Blue Trust Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Abercrombie & Fitch during the third quarter worth about $38,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. raised its holdings in 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 purchasing an additional 250 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bessemer Group Inc. lifted its position in Abercrombie & Fitch by 268.0% in the third quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 666 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $56,000 after purchasing an additional 485 shares during the period.

Abercrombie & Fitch Stock Performance

Abercrombie & Fitch stock traded up $5.03 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $105.34. 1,504,095 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,858,241. The stock has a market cap of $4.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.10 and a beta of 1.19. Abercrombie & Fitch has a 12-month low of $65.40 and a 12-month high of $133.11. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $109.88 and its 200 day simple moving average is $93.66.

Abercrombie & Fitch (NYSE:ANF) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, November 26th. The apparel retailer reported $2.36 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.14 by $0.22. The business had revenue of $1.29 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.28 billion. Abercrombie & Fitch had a net margin of 10.07% and a return on equity of 38.01%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 6.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.50 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Abercrombie & Fitch will post 10.62 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.