American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (NYSE:AEO) Given Average Recommendation of “Hold” by Brokerages

Shares of American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (NYSE:AEO) have been given an average rating of “Hold” by the fifteen ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have assigned a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1-year target price among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $22.4545.

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on AEO shares. Zacks Research cut shares of American Eagle Outfitters from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 10th. Wall Street Zen raised American Eagle Outfitters from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, April 25th. Needham & Company LLC assumed coverage on American Eagle Outfitters in a research report on Thursday, March 26th. They issued a “hold” rating for the company. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of American Eagle Outfitters in a research report on Wednesday, March 25th. Finally, Barclays raised American Eagle Outfitters from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and set a $19.00 target price for the company in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th.

Insider Transactions at American Eagle Outfitters

In related news, Director Cary D. Mcmillan sold 2,887 shares of American Eagle Outfitters stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $17.23, for a total value of $49,743.01. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Noel Joseph Spiegel sold 2,887 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $17.32, for a total transaction of $50,002.84. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders own 8.95% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of American Eagle Outfitters

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of AEO. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL grew its holdings 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 acquiring an additional 500 shares during the period. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new stake in American Eagle Outfitters during the 4th quarter worth $31,000. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd acquired a new stake in American Eagle Outfitters during the 4th quarter worth $32,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in American Eagle Outfitters during the 2nd quarter worth $35,000. Finally, Strs Ohio acquired a new stake in American Eagle Outfitters during the 3rd quarter worth $36,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.33% of the company’s stock.

American Eagle Outfitters Stock Performance

NYSE AEO opened at $17.57 on Thursday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $17.16 and a 200 day simple moving average of $21.12. American Eagle Outfitters has a twelve month low of $9.27 and a twelve month high of $28.46. The stock has a market cap of $2.94 billion, a PE ratio of 15.69, a PEG ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 1.38.

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. American Eagle Outfitters had a net margin of 3.49% and a return on equity of 16.76%. The business had revenue of $1.81 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.74 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.54 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 12.2% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts forecast that American Eagle Outfitters will post 1.75 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

American Eagle Outfitters Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 24th. Investors of record on Friday, April 10th were given a $0.125 dividend. This represents a $0.50 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, April 10th. American Eagle Outfitters’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 44.64%.

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.