Lotus Technology Management LP Invests $1.28 Million in American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. $AEO

Lotus Technology Management LP acquired a new stake in American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (NYSE:AEO) during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 74,685 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $1,285,000. American Eagle Outfitters makes up about 1.6% of Lotus Technology Management LP’s portfolio, making the stock its 21st largest holding.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Jupiter Topco LLC acquired a new position in American Eagle Outfitters during the 2nd quarter worth $1,283,000. Hsbc Holdings PLC acquired a new stake in American Eagle Outfitters in the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,456,000. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board purchased a new position in shares of American Eagle Outfitters in the 2nd quarter valued at about $7,518,000. Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new position in shares of American Eagle Outfitters in the 2nd quarter valued at about $6,674,000. Finally, The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company acquired a new position in shares of American Eagle Outfitters during the second quarter worth about $1,346,000. 97.33% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director David M. Sable sold 5,779 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $17.23, for a total value of $99,572.17. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 53,481 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $921,477.63. This represents a 9.75% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Noel Joseph Spiegel sold 2,892 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $16.78, for a total transaction of $48,527.76. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 11,563 shares of company stock worth $196,599 in the last ninety days. 8.95% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

American Eagle Outfitters Stock Performance

Shares of AEO opened at $16.71 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $17.16 and a 200 day moving average price of $18.20. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 1.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05. The company has a market capitalization of $2.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.32, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.68 and a beta of 1.32. American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. has a 52-week low of $12.11 and a 52-week high of $28.46.

American Eagle Outfitters (NYSE:AEO) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 28th. The apparel retailer reported $0.14 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.11 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $1.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.18 billion. American Eagle Outfitters had a net margin of 5.01% and a return on equity of 20.95%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned ($0.29) earnings per share. Research analysts predict that American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. will post 1.76 EPS for the current fiscal year.

American Eagle Outfitters Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 24th. Investors of record on Friday, July 10th were paid a dividend of $0.125 per share. This represents a $0.50 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 10th. American Eagle Outfitters’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 30.86%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

AEO has been the topic of several analyst reports. Barclays reduced their target price on shares of American Eagle Outfitters from $19.00 to $17.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 29th. Bank of America reiterated an “underperform” rating and set a $16.00 price target on shares of American Eagle Outfitters in a report on Friday, August 14th. Citigroup reduced their price objective on shares of American Eagle Outfitters from $24.00 to $18.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, June 1st. Weiss Ratings cut shares of American Eagle Outfitters from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group lowered their target price on shares of American Eagle Outfitters from $25.00 to $20.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $20.09.

About American Eagle Outfitters

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.