Ruffer LLP Makes New Investment in Abercrombie & Fitch Company (NYSE:ANF)

Key Points

• Ruffer LLP has invested approximately $2.05 million in Abercrombie & Fitch, acquiring 26,830 shares during the first quarter, representing 0.06% of the company's stock.
• Several institutional investors, including UMB Bank and Versant Capital Management, increased their stakes in Abercrombie & Fitch during the same quarter, indicating growing interest from the financial sector.
• Analysts have a moderate buy rating for Abercrombie & Fitch, with target prices ranging from $90 to $151, reflecting varying expectations for the company's performance.

Ruffer LLP bought a new stake in Abercrombie & Fitch Company (NYSE:ANF - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 26,830 shares of the apparel retailer's stock, valued at approximately $2,049,000. Ruffer LLP owned approximately 0.06% of Abercrombie & Fitch at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. boosted its position in Abercrombie & Fitch by 197.2% in the first quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 14,647 shares of the apparel retailer's stock valued at $1,119,000 after buying an additional 9,719 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its stake in shares of Abercrombie & Fitch by 11.1% during the first quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 7,013 shares of the apparel retailer's stock valued at $536,000 after acquiring an additional 698 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its stake in shares of Abercrombie & Fitch by 81.5% during the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,917 shares of the apparel retailer's stock valued at $146,000 after acquiring an additional 861 shares during the last quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. bought a new position in shares of Abercrombie & Fitch during the first quarter valued at $144,000. Finally, LPL Financial LLC raised its stake in shares of Abercrombie & Fitch by 16.7% during the fourth quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 15,614 shares of the apparel retailer's stock valued at $2,334,000 after acquiring an additional 2,235 shares during the last quarter.

Abercrombie & Fitch Trading Down 0.5%

NYSE ANF traded down $0.49 on Friday, hitting $102.87. 831,832 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,459,048. The company has a market cap of $4.90 billion, a PE ratio of 10.13 and a beta of 1.54. Abercrombie & Fitch Company has a 12 month low of $65.40 and a 12 month high of $172.90. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $87.00 and a 200-day moving average of $87.41.

Abercrombie & Fitch (NYSE:ANF - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 28th. The apparel retailer reported $1.59 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.35 by $0.24. Abercrombie & Fitch had a net margin of 10.60% and a return on equity of 42.32%. The firm had revenue of $1.10 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.08 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.14 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 7.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts expect that Abercrombie & Fitch Company will post 10.62 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently issued reports on ANF. Raymond James Financial dropped their price target on shares of Abercrombie & Fitch from $110.00 to $90.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, May 27th. UBS Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Abercrombie & Fitch in a research note on Wednesday, May 28th. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of Abercrombie & Fitch from $78.00 to $82.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 29th. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $125.00 price objective on shares of Abercrombie & Fitch in a research report on Wednesday, May 28th. Finally, Citigroup reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Abercrombie & Fitch in a research report on Wednesday, May 28th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Abercrombie & Fitch currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $111.88.

About Abercrombie & Fitch

Abercrombie & Fitch Co engages in the retail of apparel, personal care products, and accessories. The firm operates through following geographical segments: Americas, EMEA and APAC. The Americas segment includes operations in North America and South America. The EMEA segment includes operations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.