Analysts Set American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (NYSE:AEO) Target Price at $22.45

Shares of American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (NYSE:AEO) have been given an average recommendation of “Hold” by the fifteen research firms that are covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have given a hold rating, one has assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $22.4545.

Several research firms have weighed in on AEO. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of American Eagle Outfitters in a research note on Wednesday, December 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded American Eagle Outfitters from an “underweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and raised their target price for the company from $14.00 to $20.00 in a research note on Wednesday, December 3rd. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of American Eagle Outfitters in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on American Eagle Outfitters in a report on Thursday, December 11th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $25.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group boosted their price objective on American Eagle Outfitters from $25.00 to $28.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 13th.

Insider Buying and Selling at American Eagle Outfitters

In other news, insider Jennifer M. Foyle sold 243,047 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, December 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $24.30, for a total value of $5,906,042.10. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 191,751 shares in the company, valued at $4,659,549.30. This represents a 55.90% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Noel Joseph Spiegel sold 1,896 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $25.66, for a total transaction of $48,651.36. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders sold 246,839 shares of company stock worth $6,004,388. Insiders own 8.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On American Eagle Outfitters

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in AEO. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL increased its holdings in American Eagle Outfitters by 50.0% during the third quarter. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL now owns 1,500 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 500 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in American Eagle Outfitters in the 2nd quarter worth about $35,000. Strs Ohio purchased a new position in American Eagle Outfitters during the third quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Federated Hermes Inc. grew its position in shares of American Eagle Outfitters by 151.0% during the 2nd quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 3,848 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 2,315 shares in the last quarter. Finally, McIlrath & Eck LLC bought a new position in American Eagle Outfitters in the 3rd quarter worth about $39,000. 97.33% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

American Eagle Outfitters Price Performance

Shares of AEO opened at $24.10 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $4.09 billion, a PE ratio of 20.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 7.82 and a beta of 1.39. American Eagle Outfitters has a 52-week low of $9.27 and a 52-week high of $28.46. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $24.36 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $18.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a current ratio of 1.63.

American Eagle Outfitters (NYSE:AEO) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, December 2nd. The apparel retailer reported $0.53 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.43 by $0.10. American Eagle Outfitters had a net margin of 3.90% and a return on equity of 13.82%. The company had revenue of $1.36 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.32 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.48 EPS. American Eagle Outfitters’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts anticipate that American Eagle Outfitters will post 1.7 EPS for the current year.

American Eagle Outfitters Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 23rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 9th were issued a dividend of $0.125 per share. This represents a $0.50 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 9th. American Eagle Outfitters’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 43.10%.

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.