Argus Upgrades Abercrombie & Fitch (NYSE:ANF) to "Buy"

Key Points

• Argus upgraded Abercrombie & Fitch to “Buy” from “Hold” and set a $162 price target, implying 9.42% upside from the prior close.
• Analyst sentiment is broadly positive, with seven Buy and seven Hold ratings producing a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $154.17.
• The retailer recently exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $4.17 EPS versus a $1.99 consensus estimate and $1.27 billion in revenue, up 4.8% year over year; however, insiders have sold 30,000 shares worth $3.3 million over the past three months.

Abercrombie & Fitch (NYSE:ANF - Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Argus from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report issued on Monday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a $162.00 price target on the apparel retailer's stock. Argus' price target suggests a potential upside of 9.42% from the stock's previous close.

A number of other research analysts also recently issued reports on ANF. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $160.00 price objective on Abercrombie & Fitch in a research note on Thursday. Barclays raised their target price on shares of Abercrombie & Fitch from $114.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday. Needham & Company LLC upped their price target on shares of Abercrombie & Fitch from $108.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of Abercrombie & Fitch from $110.00 to $126.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 18th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group set a $175.00 price objective on shares of Abercrombie & Fitch in a research report on Wednesday. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Abercrombie & Fitch presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $154.17.

Abercrombie & Fitch Stock Performance

Shares of Abercrombie & Fitch stock opened at $148.05 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $6.58 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.68 and a beta of 0.90. The stock's fifty day moving average is $102.03 and its 200 day moving average is $92.34. Abercrombie & Fitch has a one year low of $65.45 and a one year high of $154.58.

Abercrombie & Fitch (NYSE:ANF - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 26th. The apparel retailer reported $4.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.99 by $2.18. The business had revenue of $1.27 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.25 billion. Abercrombie & Fitch had a return on equity of 33.52% and a net margin of 10.03%.Abercrombie & Fitch's revenue for the quarter was up 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $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. Analysts predict that Abercrombie & Fitch will post 11.4 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Abercrombie & Fitch news, COO Scott D. Lipesky sold 10,000 shares of Abercrombie & Fitch stock in a transaction on Monday, August 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $115.00, for a total value of $1,150,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 152,534 shares of the company's stock, valued at $17,541,410. This trade represents a 6.15% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Insiders have sold a total of 30,000 shares of company stock worth $3,300,000 in the last three months. 2.33% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Abercrombie & Fitch

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Timbuktu Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Abercrombie & Fitch in the second quarter worth about $29,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Abercrombie & Fitch by 181.6% in the second quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 352 shares of the apparel retailer's stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 227 shares in the last quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Abercrombie & Fitch by 322.0% in the fourth quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC now owns 249 shares of the apparel retailer's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 190 shares in the last quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC lifted its position in shares of Abercrombie & Fitch by 120.3% during the fourth quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 271 shares of the apparel retailer's stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 148 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of Abercrombie & Fitch by 94.4% in the 4th quarter. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 350 shares of the apparel retailer's stock valued at $44,000 after buying an additional 170 shares in the last quarter.

About Abercrombie & Fitch

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.

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