AlphaQuest LLC Purchases New Shares in American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. $AEO

AlphaQuest LLC purchased a new position in American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (NYSE:AEO) in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 29,005 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $496,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in shares of American Eagle Outfitters during the 2nd quarter worth about $35,000. Strs Ohio acquired a new stake in American Eagle Outfitters in the 3rd quarter worth about $36,000. Federated Hermes Inc. increased its stake in American Eagle Outfitters by 151.0% during the 2nd quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 3,848 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 2,315 shares in the last quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC acquired a new position in shares of American Eagle Outfitters during the third quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Finally, Covestor Ltd lifted its position in shares of American Eagle Outfitters by 228.8% in the third quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 3,344 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $57,000 after acquiring an additional 2,327 shares in the last quarter. 97.33% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

American Eagle Outfitters Price Performance

American Eagle Outfitters stock opened at $23.09 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.63, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $25.26 and a 200 day moving average price of $18.94. American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. has a 12-month low of $9.27 and a 12-month high of $28.46. The stock has a market cap of $3.91 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.91, a PEG ratio of 6.38 and a beta of 1.42.

American Eagle Outfitters (NYSE:AEO) last posted its quarterly earnings results 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. The business had revenue of $1.36 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.32 billion. American Eagle Outfitters had a net margin of 3.90% and a return on equity of 13.82%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.48 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. will post 1.7 earnings per share for the current year.

American Eagle Outfitters Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 23rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 9th were paid a dividend of $0.125 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 9th. This represents a $0.50 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. American Eagle Outfitters’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 43.10%.

Insider Buying and Selling at American Eagle Outfitters

In other American Eagle Outfitters news, Director Noel Joseph Spiegel sold 1,896 shares of American Eagle Outfitters stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $25.66, for a total value of $48,651.36. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Cary D. Mcmillan sold 1,896 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $26.21, for a total value of $49,694.16. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 246,839 shares of company stock worth $6,004,388 over the last quarter. 8.70% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently commented on the company. Bank of America boosted their price target on American Eagle Outfitters from $11.00 to $18.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Zacks Research raised shares of American Eagle Outfitters from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, October 24th. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on shares of American Eagle Outfitters in a report on Thursday, December 11th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $25.00 target price for the company. Telsey Advisory Group raised their price target on shares of American Eagle Outfitters from $25.00 to $28.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $23.00 price objective on shares of American Eagle Outfitters in a research note on Wednesday, December 3rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has issued a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, American Eagle Outfitters currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $22.45.

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.