Analysts Set American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (NYSE:AEO) Target Price at $21.75

Shares of American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (NYSE:AEO) have earned an average recommendation of “Reduce” from the fifteen research firms that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, twelve have assigned a hold recommendation and one has issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average twelve-month price objective among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $21.75.

A number of analysts recently weighed in on AEO shares. Bank of America increased their price objective on shares of American Eagle Outfitters from $11.00 to $18.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of American Eagle Outfitters from an “underweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and boosted their target price for the company from $14.00 to $20.00 in a research note on Wednesday, December 3rd. Telsey Advisory Group decreased their target price on shares of American Eagle Outfitters from $28.00 to $25.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $23.00 price target on shares of American Eagle Outfitters in a research note on Wednesday, December 3rd. Finally, Zacks Research cut American Eagle Outfitters from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 10th.

American Eagle Outfitters Trading Down 1.8%

NYSE:AEO opened at $17.22 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.38, a P/E/G ratio of 1.25 and a beta of 1.39. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $23.24 and a 200 day simple moving average of $20.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a current ratio of 1.52 and a quick ratio of 0.71. American Eagle Outfitters has a 12-month low of $9.27 and a 12-month high of $28.46.

American Eagle Outfitters (NYSE:AEO) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, March 4th. The apparel retailer reported $0.84 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.71 by $0.13. The firm had revenue of $1.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.74 billion. American Eagle Outfitters had a return on equity of 16.76% and a net margin of 3.49%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.54 earnings per share. Equities research analysts predict that American Eagle Outfitters will post 1.7 EPS for the current year.

American Eagle Outfitters Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 24th. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 10th will be paid 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 yield of 2.9%. American Eagle Outfitters’s payout ratio is presently 44.64%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Noel Joseph Spiegel sold 1,896 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $25.66, for a total transaction of $48,651.36. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Cary D. Mcmillan sold 1,896 shares of American Eagle Outfitters 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. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders own 8.70% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On American Eagle Outfitters

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL lifted its stake in shares of American Eagle Outfitters by 50.0% in the 3rd quarter. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL now owns 1,500 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 500 shares during the period. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new position in shares of American Eagle Outfitters during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd bought a new stake in American Eagle Outfitters during the fourth quarter worth approximately $32,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new stake in American Eagle Outfitters during the second quarter worth approximately $35,000. Finally, Strs Ohio acquired a new stake in American Eagle Outfitters in the third quarter worth approximately $36,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.33% of the company’s stock.

About American Eagle Outfitters

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.