Baird Financial Group Inc. Takes Position in Abercrombie & Fitch Company $ANF

Key Points

• Baird Financial Group acquired 222,582 Abercrombie & Fitch shares worth approximately $20.0 million, representing about 0.50% of the company. Other institutional investors also increased or initiated positions during the second quarter.
• Abercrombie & Fitch 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 2026 EPS guidance remains $13.10–$13.60.
• Analysts raised several price targets, with the stock carrying a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and a $155.38 target. However, insiders sold 72,800 shares worth about $9.6 million over the past 90 days.

Baird Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Abercrombie & Fitch Company (NYSE:ANF - Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 222,582 shares of the apparel retailer's stock, valued at approximately $20,035,000. Baird Financial Group Inc. owned approximately 0.50% of Abercrombie & Fitch at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Empirical Finance LLC acquired a new position in Abercrombie & Fitch in the second quarter valued at approximately $669,000. Nykredit A S purchased a new stake in Abercrombie & Fitch in the 2nd quarter valued at about $171,000. Corient Private Wealth LP raised its holdings in Abercrombie & Fitch by 85.6% in the 2nd quarter. Corient Private Wealth LP now owns 7,869 shares of the apparel retailer's stock valued at $708,000 after buying an additional 3,630 shares during the period. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al acquired a new position in Abercrombie & Fitch in the second quarter valued at about $819,000. Finally, California State Teachers Retirement System lifted its position in Abercrombie & Fitch by 8,792.9% in the second quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 4,671,519 shares of the apparel retailer's stock valued at $420,483,000 after buying an additional 4,618,988 shares during the last quarter.

Insider Activity at Abercrombie & Fitch

In other news, Director Kenneth B. Robinson sold 800 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $149.69, for a total transaction of $119,752.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 7,169 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,073,127.61. This represents a 10.04% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, COO Scott D. Lipesky sold 2,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $146.82, for a total value of $293,640.00. Following the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 145,534 shares in the company, valued at approximately $21,367,301.88. This represents a 1.36% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 72,800 shares of company stock valued at $9,595,392 in the last ninety days. 2.33% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently commented on ANF shares. UBS Group raised their price target on Abercrombie & Fitch from $153.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 27th. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Abercrombie & Fitch from $114.00 to $155.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 27th. BTIG Research increased their target price on shares of Abercrombie & Fitch from $120.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, August 26th. Raymond James Financial reissued a "market perform" rating on shares of Abercrombie & Fitch in a research report on Tuesday, August 18th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group upped their price target on Abercrombie & Fitch from $118.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, August 27th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Abercrombie & Fitch presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $155.38.

Abercrombie & Fitch Stock Performance

Shares of ANF opened at $145.57 on Friday. Abercrombie & Fitch Company has a fifty-two week low of $65.45 and a fifty-two week high of $155.22. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $113.21 and a 200-day simple moving average of $95.96. The company has a market capitalization of $6.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.25 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 the consensus estimate of $1.99 by $2.18. Abercrombie & Fitch had a net margin of 10.03% and a return on equity of 33.52%. The company had revenue of $1.27 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.25 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.91 EPS. Abercrombie & Fitch's revenue was up 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. 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. Equities research analysts forecast that Abercrombie & Fitch Company will post 11.42 EPS for the current year.

Abercrombie & Fitch News Roundup

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 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.

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