Abercrombie & Fitch (NYSE:ANF) Rating Increased to Buy at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded Abercrombie & Fitch to “buy” from “hold,” adding to a generally positive analyst outlook. The stock has a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $155.38.
• Abercrombie reported a strong quarter, with EPS of $4.17 versus the $1.99 consensus and revenue of $1.27 billion, up 4.8% year over year. Full-year EPS guidance remains $13.10–$13.60.
• Shares opened at $145.57 after rallying near their 52-week high of $155.22, though insider selling—including 72,800 shares sold over 90 days—and caution across the apparel sector remain potential headwinds.

Abercrombie & Fitch (NYSE:ANF - Get Free Report) was upgraded by investment analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report issued on Saturday, Wall Street Zen reports.

Several other analysts have also recently issued reports on the stock. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Abercrombie & Fitch from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research note on Friday, August 14th. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on Abercrombie & Fitch from $87.00 to $134.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 27th. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $160.00 price target on Abercrombie & Fitch in a report on Thursday, August 27th. Raymond James Financial reissued a "market perform" rating on shares of Abercrombie & Fitch in a research report on Tuesday, August 18th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group set a $175.00 price objective on shares of Abercrombie & Fitch in a 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. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $155.38.

Abercrombie & Fitch Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:ANF opened at $145.57 on Friday. The business's 50-day moving average is $113.21 and its 200 day moving average is $95.96. Abercrombie & Fitch has a 1 year low of $65.45 and a 1 year high of $155.22. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.46, a P/E/G ratio of 1.25 and a beta of 0.97.

Abercrombie & Fitch (NYSE:ANF - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 26th. The apparel retailer reported $4.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.99 by $2.18. Abercrombie & Fitch had a net margin of 10.03% and a return on equity of 33.52%. The business had revenue of $1.27 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.25 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.91 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. 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. On average, analysts expect that Abercrombie & Fitch will post 11.42 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Abercrombie & Fitch news, COO Scott Lipesky sold 2,000 shares of Abercrombie & Fitch stock in a transaction on Friday, September 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $146.82, for a total value of $293,640.00. Following the sale, the chief operating officer owned 145,534 shares in the company, valued at $21,367,301.88. The trade was a 1.36% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Gregory Henchel sold 30,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Friday, August 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $146.65, for a total value of $4,399,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 33,681 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,939,318.65. This trade represents a 47.11% decrease in their position. 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. Company insiders own 2.33% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Timbuktu Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Abercrombie & Fitch during the second quarter valued at about $29,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Abercrombie & Fitch by 181.6% in the 2nd quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 352 shares of the apparel retailer's stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 227 shares during the last quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Abercrombie & Fitch by 322.0% in the 4th quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC now owns 249 shares of the apparel retailer's stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 190 shares during the last quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC boosted its position in shares of Abercrombie & Fitch by 120.3% during the 4th quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 271 shares of the apparel retailer's stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 148 shares during the period. Finally, Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. boosted its position in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 170 shares during the period.

Key Stories Impacting Abercrombie & Fitch

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

• Positive Sentiment: BMO Capital Markets upgraded ANF to “strong buy,” providing a fresh positive catalyst for the stock after its strong rally. Zacks analyst upgrade coverage
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised several future earnings estimates and maintained a “Strong Buy” rating. FY2027 EPS was increased to $11.48 from $10.54, FY2028 EPS to $12.29 from $11.62, and FY2029 EPS to $13.21 from $12.24. The firm also lifted Q2 2029 EPS expectations to $3.02 from $2.50. Abercrombie & Fitch analyst estimates
• Positive Sentiment: The retailer’s latest quarterly results showed strong earnings momentum: EPS of $4.17 substantially exceeded the $1.99 consensus estimate, while revenue reached $1.27 billion and grew 4.8% year over year. Full-year EPS guidance remains $13.10–$13.60.
• Positive Sentiment: ANF recently established a new one-year high, reinforcing technical momentum and investor confidence following the earnings beat and analyst upgrades. Abercrombie & Fitch new one-year high
• Neutral Sentiment: Some analyst views remain cautious despite the bullish revisions. The broader analyst consensus is “Moderate Buy,” with a consensus price target of approximately $155.38, close to the stock’s recent trading range.
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks trimmed a few estimates, including Q1 2028 EPS to $1.61 from $1.64 and Q1 2029 EPS to $1.72 from $1.76, signaling some potential near-term seasonality or margin pressure.
• Negative Sentiment: COO Scott Lipesky sold 2,000 shares for approximately $293,640. The sale reduced his holdings by 1.36%, a relatively small transaction but a modest negative sentiment signal. ANF COO stock sale
• Negative Sentiment: Weakness across several apparel retailers, including American Eagle, Macy’s and Zumiez, along with concerns about tariffs and consumer spending, may be limiting gains in the broader retail sector. Apparel retailer sector weakness

Abercrombie & Fitch Company Profile

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.