Urban Outfitters (NASDAQ:URBN) Sets New 12-Month High – Should You Buy?

Urban Outfitters, Inc. (NASDAQ:URBN) shares hit a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $84.35 and last traded at $83.2340, with a volume of 423556 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $79.56.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have weighed in on URBN. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on shares of Urban Outfitters in a research report on Tuesday, December 9th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $83.00 price objective for the company. Robert W. Baird set a $93.00 price objective on shares of Urban Outfitters in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of Urban Outfitters from $75.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 26th. Guggenheim assumed coverage on Urban Outfitters in a report on Tuesday, December 9th. They set a “neutral” rating for the company. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Urban Outfitters from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $86.50.

Urban Outfitters Stock Up 4.9%

The company’s fifty day moving average price is $72.43 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $72.28. The firm has a market cap of $7.48 billion, a PE ratio of 15.74, a P/E/G ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 1.23.

Urban Outfitters (NASDAQ:URBN) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, December 10th. The apparel retailer reported $1.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Urban Outfitters had a return on equity of 18.33% and a net margin of 8.15%.The firm had revenue of $1.53 billion during the quarter. As a group, analysts predict that Urban Outfitters, Inc. will post 3.91 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Urban Outfitters

In related news, insider Margaret Hayne sold 9,333 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $76.57, for a total value of $714,627.81. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 2,188,064 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $167,540,060.48. This trade represents a 0.42% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Richard A. Hayne sold 10,667 shares of Urban Outfitters stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $76.57, for a total value of $816,772.19. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 17,739,930 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,358,346,440.10. This represents a 0.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 389,333 shares of company stock valued at $30,010,534. 31.60% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of URBN. Jupiter Asset Management Ltd. boosted its stake in Urban Outfitters by 900.1% in the third quarter. Jupiter Asset Management Ltd. now owns 969,999 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $69,287,000 after purchasing an additional 873,008 shares in the last quarter. Capital World Investors acquired a new position in Urban Outfitters during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $60,795,000. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Urban Outfitters in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $55,429,000. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. lifted its position in shares of Urban Outfitters by 5,360.2% in the third quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 618,152 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $44,155,000 after buying an additional 606,831 shares during the last quarter. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. grew its position in shares of Urban Outfitters by 23.1% in the third quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 2,879,092 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $205,654,000 after purchasing an additional 540,877 shares during the last quarter. 77.61% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Urban Outfitters Company Profile

Urban Outfitters, Inc is a global lifestyle retailer headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Established in 1970 by Richard Hayne, Scott Belair and Judy Wicks, the company began as a single store catering to college students in the city’s historic Old City neighborhood. Over the decades, Urban Outfitters has expanded its reach and diversified its portfolio to include multiple retail concepts addressing distinct customer segments.

The company operates through several well-known brands, each offering a curated selection of apparel, footwear, accessories and home goods.