Abercrombie & Fitch (NYSE:ANF) Hits New 12-Month High - Still a Buy?

Key Points

• Abercrombie & Fitch reached a new 52-week high, trading near $156, with a market capitalization of approximately $6.47 billion. Its shares remain well above their 50-day and 200-day moving averages.
• Analyst sentiment is generally positive, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $155.38, although some firms recently downgraded the stock to “hold” or “neutral.”
• The company reported strong quarterly results, including EPS of $4.17 versus a $1.99 estimate and revenue of $1.27 billion, up 4.8% year over year. However, insiders have sold 72,800 shares worth roughly $9.6 million over the past 90 days.

Abercrombie & Fitch Company (NYSE:ANF - Get Free Report)'s stock price hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Thursday. The stock traded as high as $155.46 and last traded at $156.1540, with a volume of 419,926 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $149.74.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on ANF shares. Weiss Ratings downgraded Abercrombie & Fitch from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Friday, October 2nd. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on shares of Abercrombie & Fitch from $87.00 to $134.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Thursday, August 27th. BMO Capital Markets began coverage on shares of Abercrombie & Fitch in a report on Tuesday, September 8th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $170.00 target price for the company. Citigroup lowered shares of Abercrombie & Fitch from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and raised their price target for the company from $135.00 to $156.00 in a research report on Thursday, August 27th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC raised their price target on shares of Abercrombie & Fitch from $108.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 26th. Two investment 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $155.38.

Abercrombie & Fitch Price Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $6.47 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.05, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.32 and a beta of 1.02. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $132.64 and a 200-day moving average price of $103.91.

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, COO Scott Lipesky sold 2,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $146.82, for a total value of $293,640.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 145,534 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $21,367,301.88. The trade was a 1.36% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Gregory Henchel sold 30,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $146.65, for a total transaction of $4,399,500.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 33,681 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,939,318.65. The trade was a 47.11% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 72,800 shares of company stock valued at $9,595,392. 2.33% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Timbuktu Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Abercrombie & Fitch during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $29,000. CoreCap Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Abercrombie & Fitch by 304.2% during the 3rd quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC now owns 384 shares of the apparel retailer's stock valued at $52,000 after purchasing an additional 289 shares in the last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its position in shares of Abercrombie & Fitch by 29.8% during the 2nd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 610 shares of the apparel retailer's stock valued at $55,000 after purchasing an additional 140 shares in the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new position in shares of Abercrombie & Fitch in the fourth quarter worth $56,000. Finally, Parallel Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Abercrombie & Fitch by 46.7% in the first quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 788 shares of the apparel retailer's stock worth $72,000 after purchasing an additional 251 shares during the period.

About Abercrombie & Fitch

Abercrombie & Fitch Co is a global specialty retailer of apparel, accessories and personal-care products. The company operates a portfolio of lifestyle brands, including Abercrombie & Fitch, abercrombie kids, Hollister and Gilly Hicks, serving customers across a range of age groups and fashion preferences.

Its product offerings include casual clothing, denim, dresses, intimates, sleepwear, activewear, swimwear, footwear, accessories and fragrances. The company sells its merchandise through branded retail stores, e-commerce websites and other digital channels, with operations serving customers in North America, Europe, Asia and other international markets.

Founded in 1892 as a sporting-goods store in New York City, Abercrombie & Fitch evolved into a lifestyle apparel retailer and has expanded its brand portfolio over time.

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