American Eagle Outfitters (NYSE:AEO) Announces Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.11 EPS

American Eagle Outfitters (NYSE:AEO) issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The apparel retailer reported $0.61 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.50 by $0.11, Briefing.com reports. American Eagle Outfitters had a return on equity of 17.76% and a net margin of 3.23%. The business had revenue of $1.68 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.67 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.37 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 12.2% on a year-over-year basis.

American Eagle Outfitters Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:AEO opened at $22.29 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $21.63 and a 200 day moving average of $19.13. American Eagle Outfitters has a 52-week low of $9.95 and a 52-week high of $26.44. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.40 billion, a PE ratio of 25.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.65 and a beta of 1.59.

American Eagle Outfitters Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 26th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 12th will be issued a dividend of $0.125 per share. This represents a $0.50 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.24%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 11th. American Eagle Outfitters’s payout ratio is 58.14%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently weighed in on AEO shares. UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of American Eagle Outfitters from $27.00 to $29.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, February 26th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on American Eagle Outfitters from $14.00 to $13.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, November 24th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of American Eagle Outfitters from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 28th. Bank of America increased their target price on American Eagle Outfitters from $21.00 to $25.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 29th. Finally, TD Cowen boosted their price objective on American Eagle Outfitters from $15.00 to $19.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Monday, December 4th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, American Eagle Outfitters presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $19.82.

American Eagle Outfitters declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock repurchase program on Thursday, February 1st that authorizes the company to repurchase 30,000,000 shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the apparel retailer to purchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are typically a sign that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Activity at American Eagle Outfitters

In other American Eagle Outfitters news, Director Cary D. Mcmillan sold 2,363 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $19.91, for a total transaction of $47,047.33. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. In other news, insider Jennifer M. Foyle sold 60,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $20.73, for a total transaction of $1,243,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 232,459 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,818,875.07. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Cary D. Mcmillan sold 2,363 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $19.91, for a total transaction of $47,047.33. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 106,634 shares of company stock valued at $2,198,937. Corporate insiders own 7.50% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On American Eagle Outfitters

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. State of Wyoming purchased a new position in shares of American Eagle Outfitters during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board purchased a new stake in American Eagle Outfitters in the first quarter worth $37,000. Quarry LP bought a new position in American Eagle Outfitters in the first quarter worth $38,000. US Bancorp DE lifted its position in American Eagle Outfitters by 170.3% during the fourth quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 2,889 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $61,000 after buying an additional 1,820 shares during the period. Finally, DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main bought a new stake in shares of American Eagle Outfitters during the 4th quarter valued at $67,000. 90.10% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

American Eagle Outfitters Company Profile

American Eagle Outfitters, Inc operates as a specialty retailer that provides clothing, accessories, and personal care products under the American Eagle and Aerie brands in the United States and internationally. The company provides jeans, apparel and accessories, and personal care products for women and men; and intimates, apparel, activewear, and swim collections.