Why American Eagle Took a Dive After Q2 Results

September 4, 2019 by Chris Lange

When American Eagle Outfitters Inc. (NYSE: AEO) reported its fiscal second-quarter financial results before the markets opened on Wednesday, it said that it had $0.39 in earnings per share (EPS) and $1.04 billion in revenue. The consensus estimates had called for $0.34 in EPS and $986 million in revenue, and the retailer posted $0.34 in EPS and $964.85 million in revenue in the same period of last year.

During the latest quarter, total net revenue increased $76 million, or 8%, year over year to this record quarterly revenue of $1.04 billion.

Consolidated comparable sales increased 2%, following a 9% comparable sales increase last year. By brand, American Eagle’s comparable sales decreased 1%, following a 7% increase last year. Aerie’s comparable sales increased 16%, building on a 27% increase last year and marking this the 19th consecutive quarter of double-digit growth.

Looking ahead to the fiscal third quarter, the company expects to see EPS in the range of $0.47 to $0.49. Consensus estimates call for $0.52 in EPS and $1.06 billion in revenue for the quarter.

Jay Schottenstein, AEO’s board chair and chief executive, commented:

We had a number of wins and accomplishments in the second quarter, yet we were disappointed to report operating results below our expectations. We faced challenges largely stemming from underperformance in certain seasonal categories and a delayed start to back-to-school. Despite this, we delivered our 18th consecutive quarter of positive consolidated comparable sales growth. We were also encouraged to see many areas of the business perform well, including continued strong momentum in AE Jeans, Aerie and our digital channel — all major growth priorities. The AE team has taken quick action to strengthen the business and we are pleased to see an improvement in third quarter-to-date sales. Our brands remain strong and we are well-positioned to continue to grow and gain market share.

Shares of American Eagle traded down about 14% on Wednesday to $14.06, in a 52-week range of $13.84 to $26.53. The consensus price target is $22.31.


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