Abercrombie & Fitch (NYSE:ANF) Raised to "Strong-Buy" at BMO Capital Markets

Key Points

• BMO Capital Markets upgraded Abercrombie & Fitch to “strong buy,” joining Zacks Research; the stock’s consensus rating is “Moderate Buy” with an average price target of $155.38.
• Abercrombie reported quarterly EPS of $4.17, well above the $1.99 analyst consensus, while revenue reached $1.27 billion, up 4.8% year over year.
• ANF shares opened at $143.19, near their 52-week high of $155.22, though insiders have sold 72,800 shares worth approximately $9.6 million over the past 90 days.

Abercrombie & Fitch (NYSE:ANF - Get Free Report) was upgraded by investment analysts at BMO Capital Markets to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note issued on Tuesday, Zacks reports.

Several other research analysts have also issued reports on the company. Zacks Research upgraded Abercrombie & Fitch from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Friday, August 28th. Citigroup downgraded Abercrombie & Fitch from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and upped their price objective for the company from $135.00 to $156.00 in a report on Thursday, August 27th. BTIG Research increased their target price on Abercrombie & Fitch from $120.00 to $175.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 26th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Abercrombie & Fitch from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Friday, August 14th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC boosted their target price on Abercrombie & Fitch from $108.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 26th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Abercrombie & Fitch has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $155.38.

Abercrombie & Fitch Price Performance

Shares of NYSE ANF opened at $143.19 on Tuesday. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $112.15 and its 200 day simple moving average is $95.61. Abercrombie & Fitch has a fifty-two week low of $65.45 and a fifty-two week high of $155.22. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.26, a P/E/G ratio of 1.33 and a beta of 0.97.

Abercrombie & Fitch (NYSE:ANF - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 26th. The apparel retailer reported $4.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.99 by $2.18. The firm had revenue of $1.27 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.25 billion. Abercrombie & Fitch had a net margin of 10.03% and a return on equity of 33.52%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.91 earnings per share. Abercrombie & Fitch has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.900-3.200 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 13.100-13.600 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Abercrombie & Fitch will post 11.4 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Abercrombie & Fitch

In other news, Director Kenneth Robinson sold 800 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, August 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $149.69, for a total transaction of $119,752.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 7,169 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,073,127.61. This represents a 10.04% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Gregory Henchel sold 30,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, August 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $146.65, for a total transaction of $4,399,500.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 33,681 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,939,318.65. The trade was a 47.11% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 72,800 shares of company stock worth $9,595,392 over the last ninety days. 2.33% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Abercrombie & Fitch

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Timbuktu Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Abercrombie & Fitch in the second quarter valued at about $29,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC raised its position in Abercrombie & Fitch by 181.6% in 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 last quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC raised its position in Abercrombie & Fitch by 322.0% in the 4th quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC now owns 249 shares of the apparel retailer's stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 190 shares during the last quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC lifted its stake in Abercrombie & Fitch by 120.3% in the 4th quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 271 shares of the apparel retailer's stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 148 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. boosted its position in Abercrombie & Fitch by 94.4% during the 4th quarter. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 350 shares of the apparel retailer's stock worth $44,000 after acquiring an additional 170 shares during the last quarter.

Trending Headlines about Abercrombie & Fitch

Here are the key news stories impacting Abercrombie & Fitch this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research maintained a “Strong Buy” rating and raised several long-term forecasts. Estimates were increased for Q3 2027, Q2–Q4 2028 and FY2028, with FY2028 EPS raised to $12.29 from $11.62. These revisions suggest analysts continue to expect strong future earnings growth. Abercrombie & Fitch analyst estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst estimates were mixed. Zacks lowered forecasts for Q1 2028 and Q1 2029 EPS but raised estimates for multiple later periods. The overall analyst view remains favorable, while the consensus full-year EPS estimate is $11.40. Abercrombie & Fitch research estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Broad weakness across apparel retailers is weighing on ANF. Reports cited declines in Abercrombie & Fitch and other specialty retailers, including American Eagle, Zumiez, Macy’s and Victoria’s Secret. American Eagle’s results were viewed as flattered by a $161 million tariff refund, raising concerns about the quality and sustainability of apparel-sector earnings. Apparel retailer stock declines
• Negative Sentiment: The company’s COO sold 2,000 shares. Scott Lipesky sold stock worth approximately $293,640 at an average price of $146.82, reducing his position by 1.36%. The relatively small transaction is not necessarily a change in business outlook, but insider selling can add short-term investor caution. Abercrombie & Fitch COO stock sale

About Abercrombie & Fitch

Abercrombie & Fitch Co is a global, omnichannel specialty retailer that sells casual apparel, accessories and personal-care products through company-operated stores and digital channels. The company serves customers through its Abercrombie, abercrombie kids, Hollister and Gilly Hicks brands, which target a range of consumers and lifestyles.

Abercrombie & Fitch offers products including jeans, tops, dresses, outerwear, intimates, sleepwear, swimwear, accessories and fragrances. Its brands operate through retail locations and e-commerce platforms, with sales across North America, Europe, Asia and other international markets.

Founded in 1892 as an outdoor-goods retailer in New York City, the company later developed into a youth-focused apparel retailer and has since broadened its brand portfolio and customer appeal.

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