American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (NYSE:AEO) Sees Large Drop in Short Interest

American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (NYSE:AEO) was the target of a significant decline in short interest during the month of March. As of March 13th, there was short interest totaling 14,336,397 shares, a decline of 13.3% from the February 26th total of 16,526,500 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 8,364,149 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.7 days. Currently, 9.3% of the shares of the stock are sold short.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other American Eagle Outfitters news, Director Cary D. Mcmillan sold 1,896 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $26.21, for a total value of $49,694.16. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Director Noel Joseph Spiegel sold 1,896 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $25.66, for a total transaction of $48,651.36. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 8.70% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of American Eagle Outfitters

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in AEO. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new position in shares of American Eagle Outfitters in the fourth quarter worth $31,000. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd bought a new stake in American Eagle Outfitters in the 4th quarter worth $32,000. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL increased its position in shares of American Eagle Outfitters by 50.0% in the third quarter. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL now owns 1,500 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 500 shares during the period. Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of American Eagle Outfitters by 177.2% in the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 1,774 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $47,000 after acquiring an additional 1,134 shares during the period. Finally, Quadrant Capital Group LLC raised its stake in shares of American Eagle Outfitters by 31.8% during the fourth quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 1,852 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $49,000 after acquiring an additional 447 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.33% of the company’s stock.

American Eagle Outfitters Stock Performance

American Eagle Outfitters stock opened at $16.72 on Wednesday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $21.54 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $20.99. The company has a quick ratio of 0.71, a current ratio of 1.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13. American Eagle Outfitters has a twelve month low of $9.27 and a twelve month high of $28.46. The company has a market capitalization of $2.83 billion, a PE ratio of 14.93, a P/E/G ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 1.39.

American Eagle Outfitters (NYSE:AEO) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 4th. The apparel retailer reported $0.84 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.71 by $0.13. American Eagle Outfitters had a return on equity of 16.76% and a net margin of 3.49%.The firm had revenue of $1.81 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.74 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.54 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 12.2% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts expect that American Eagle Outfitters will post 1.7 EPS for the current year.

American Eagle Outfitters Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 24th. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 10th will be paid a $0.125 dividend. This represents a $0.50 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 10th. American Eagle Outfitters’s payout ratio is 44.64%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on AEO shares. TD Cowen lowered their price target on American Eagle Outfitters from $27.00 to $21.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of American Eagle Outfitters in a research report on Wednesday, March 25th. Telsey Advisory Group decreased their price objective on American Eagle Outfitters from $28.00 to $25.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, March 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded American Eagle Outfitters from an “underweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $14.00 to $20.00 in a research report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada set a $23.00 target price on American Eagle Outfitters in a research note on Wednesday, December 3rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $21.75.

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.