Needham & Company LLC Begins Coverage on American Eagle Outfitters (NYSE:AEO)

Analysts at Needham & Company LLC initiated coverage on shares of American Eagle Outfitters (NYSE:AEO) in a research note issued on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm set a “hold” rating on the apparel retailer’s stock.

A number of other research firms have also recently issued reports on AEO. TD Cowen cut their price objective on shares of 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. Zacks Research lowered American Eagle Outfitters from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 10th. Barclays dropped their price target on American Eagle Outfitters from $24.00 to $19.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. UBS Group raised their price objective on American Eagle Outfitters from $31.00 to $35.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $23.00 target price on American Eagle Outfitters in a research report on Wednesday, December 3rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, American Eagle Outfitters presently has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $21.75.

American Eagle Outfitters Stock Performance

NYSE:AEO opened at $16.50 on Thursday. 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 fifty day moving average of $22.28 and a 200-day moving average of $21.04. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.73, a P/E/G ratio of 1.16 and a beta of 1.39.

American Eagle Outfitters (NYSE:AEO) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, March 4th. The apparel retailer reported $0.84 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.71 by $0.13. The business had revenue of $1.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.74 billion. American Eagle Outfitters had a net margin of 3.49% and a return on equity of 16.76%. American Eagle Outfitters’s revenue was up 12.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.54 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that American Eagle Outfitters will post 1.7 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at American Eagle Outfitters

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 stock was sold at an average price of $26.21, for a total transaction of $49,694.16. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Noel Joseph Spiegel sold 1,896 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $25.66, for a total value of $48,651.36. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 8.70% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On American Eagle Outfitters

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Quadrant Capital Group LLC grew its position in American Eagle Outfitters by 31.8% in the fourth quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 1,852 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $49,000 after acquiring an additional 447 shares in the last quarter. Cambria Investment Management L.P. raised its position in American Eagle Outfitters by 4.5% during the third quarter. Cambria Investment Management L.P. now owns 10,777 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $184,000 after purchasing an additional 468 shares in the last quarter. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL raised its position 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 valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 500 shares in the last quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in American Eagle Outfitters by 2.1% during the fourth quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC now owns 25,363 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $669,000 after purchasing an additional 510 shares during the last quarter. Finally, PNC Financial Services Group Inc. lifted its stake in American Eagle Outfitters by 4.8% during the third quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 14,855 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $254,000 after purchasing an additional 678 shares during the last quarter. 97.33% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.