Abercrombie & Fitch Company (NYSE:ANF) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Abercrombie & Fitch Company (NYSE:ANF) has been given a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” by the twelve research firms that are covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and seven have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $120.90.

ANF has been the topic of several research reports. Citigroup raised shares of Abercrombie & Fitch from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their price target for the company from $90.00 to $135.00 in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of Abercrombie & Fitch from $128.00 to $102.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Monday. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $145.00 target price on shares of Abercrombie & Fitch in a research report on Monday, January 5th. UBS Group reduced their price target on Abercrombie & Fitch from $160.00 to $149.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on Abercrombie & Fitch in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. They set a “buy” rating and a $120.00 price objective on the stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Fran Horowitz sold 29,769 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $100.00, for a total value of $2,976,900.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 308,503 shares in the company, valued at approximately $30,850,300. This trade represents a 8.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders have sold 350,000 shares of company stock valued at $34,661,358 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 2.29% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Abercrombie & Fitch

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. NewEdge Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Abercrombie & Fitch by 181.6% during the 2nd quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 352 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 227 shares in the last quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Abercrombie & Fitch by 322.0% in the fourth quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC now owns 249 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 190 shares in the last quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC boosted its stake in Abercrombie & Fitch by 120.3% during the fourth quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 271 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 148 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc. purchased a new position in Abercrombie & Fitch during the third quarter worth about $38,000. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. increased its stake in Abercrombie & Fitch by 108.2% in the 3rd 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 last quarter.

Abercrombie & Fitch Trading Up 1.0%

Shares of NYSE ANF opened at $95.95 on Thursday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $107.20 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $93.43. Abercrombie & Fitch has a 1-year low of $65.40 and a 1-year high of $133.11. The firm has a market cap of $4.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.20 and a beta of 1.19.

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