Abercrombie & Fitch Company (NYSE:ANF) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Shares of Abercrombie & Fitch Company (NYSE:ANF) have been assigned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the twelve brokerages that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and seven have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price target among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $124.60.

ANF has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Telsey Advisory Group restated an “outperform” rating and set a $125.00 price target on shares of Abercrombie & Fitch in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Abercrombie & Fitch in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $145.00 price target on shares of Abercrombie & Fitch in a report on Monday, January 5th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Abercrombie & Fitch from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, December 27th. Finally, BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Abercrombie & Fitch in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th.

Abercrombie & Fitch Stock Performance

Shares of ANF stock opened at $97.59 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.36 and a beta of 1.17. Abercrombie & Fitch has a one year low of $65.40 and a one year high of $133.11. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $108.96 and a 200 day moving average price of $93.53.

Abercrombie & Fitch (NYSE:ANF) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 26th. The apparel retailer reported $2.36 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.14 by $0.22. The company had revenue of $1.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.28 billion. Abercrombie & Fitch had a net margin of 10.07% and a return on equity of 38.01%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 6.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.50 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Abercrombie & Fitch will post 10.62 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Fran Horowitz sold 100,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, January 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $95.40, for a total transaction of $9,540,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 505,303 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $48,205,906.20. This represents a 16.52% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 2.29% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of ANF. NewEdge Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Abercrombie & Fitch by 181.6% during the 2nd quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 352 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 227 shares during the period. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in Abercrombie & Fitch in the second quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Blue Trust Inc. acquired a new stake in Abercrombie & Fitch in the third quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. raised its stake in shares of Abercrombie & Fitch by 108.2% during the third quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 481 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 250 shares during the period. Finally, Bessemer Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Abercrombie & Fitch by 268.0% during the third quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 666 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $56,000 after purchasing an additional 485 shares in the last quarter.

Abercrombie & Fitch Company Profile

Abercrombie & Fitch Co (NYSE: ANF) is an American specialty retailer that designs, markets and sells casual apparel and accessories for men, women and children. Founded in 1892 by David T. Abercrombie and Ezra Fitch, the company evolved from an outdoor gear outfitter to a global lifestyle brand renowned for its relaxed, preppy aesthetic. Its product assortment includes tops, bottoms, outerwear, intimates, swimwear, fragrances and personal care items.

The company operates under multiple brand names, including Abercrombie & Fitch, Abercrombie Kids, Hollister and Gilly Hicks, each targeting distinct consumer segments from teens to young adults.