Zacks Research Issues Optimistic Forecast for AEO Earnings

American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (NYSE:AEO) – Research analysts at Zacks Research increased their FY2026 EPS estimates for shares of American Eagle Outfitters in a research note issued on Friday, February 6th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the apparel retailer will earn $1.38 per share for the year, up from their previous estimate of $1.33. Zacks Research currently has a “Strong-Buy” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for American Eagle Outfitters’ current full-year earnings is $1.70 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for American Eagle Outfitters’ Q4 2026 earnings at $0.69 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $0.48 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $0.72 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $1.63 EPS, Q3 2028 earnings at $0.50 EPS, Q4 2028 earnings at $0.74 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $1.70 EPS.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently commented on the stock. Bank of America increased their price objective on shares of American Eagle Outfitters from $11.00 to $18.00 and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 3rd. TD Cowen reissued a “hold” rating on shares of American Eagle Outfitters in a report on Wednesday, December 3rd. UBS Group lifted their price target on American Eagle Outfitters from $31.00 to $35.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $23.00 price objective on American Eagle Outfitters in a report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group upped their price target 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. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has given a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, American Eagle Outfitters has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $22.45.

American Eagle Outfitters Stock Up 2.9%

AEO stock opened at $23.75 on Monday. American Eagle Outfitters has a fifty-two week low of $9.27 and a fifty-two week high of $28.46. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $25.32 and its 200 day moving average price is $19.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a current ratio of 1.63. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.47, a PEG ratio of 6.22 and a beta of 1.42.

American Eagle Outfitters (NYSE:AEO) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, December 2nd. The apparel retailer reported $0.53 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.43 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $1.36 billion for 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 quarterly revenue was up 2.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.48 earnings per share.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On American Eagle Outfitters

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in American Eagle Outfitters by 1.4% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 18,398,401 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $485,166,000 after buying an additional 249,158 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. grew its holdings in shares of American Eagle Outfitters by 5.1% in the 3rd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 6,649,952 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $113,781,000 after acquiring an additional 320,750 shares during the period. Marshall Wace LLP increased its stake in American Eagle Outfitters by 920.6% in the 3rd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 5,497,720 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $94,066,000 after purchasing an additional 4,959,039 shares in the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its holdings in American Eagle Outfitters by 4.2% during the third quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 1,493,902 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $25,561,000 after purchasing an additional 60,442 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Segall Bryant & Hamill LLC purchased a new stake in American Eagle Outfitters during the third quarter worth $23,395,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.33% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Noel Joseph Spiegel sold 1,896 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 21st. The shares were 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, 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 transaction of $5,906,042.10. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 191,751 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,659,549.30. This trade represents a 55.90% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 246,839 shares of company stock valued at $6,004,388. 8.70% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

American Eagle Outfitters Announces Dividend

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

Trending Headlines about American Eagle Outfitters

Here are the key news stories impacting American Eagle Outfitters this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research sharply raised AEO’s near- and medium-term EPS forecasts (multiple upgrades across Q4 2026–Q4 2028, FY2026–FY2028) and maintains a “Strong‑Buy” view — this lifts earnings expectations and supports a higher valuation for the stock.
• Positive Sentiment: American Eagle says it’s refocusing on core retail initiatives, expanding its “Creators” strategy and partnering with Stord for logistics — moves that aim to drive sales growth, improve inventory flow and lower fulfillment costs, which investors see as operationally constructive. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Barron’s stock-grader page for AEO is updated (general score/metrics resource) — useful for reference but does not itself drive an immediate catalyst. Article Title

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.