American Eagle Outfitters Target of Unusually Large Options Trading (NYSE:AEO)

American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (NYSE:AEO) was the target of some unusual options trading on Thursday. Investors purchased 21,213 put options on the stock. This is an increase of approximately 214% compared to the typical volume of 6,762 put options.

American Eagle Outfitters Stock Up 0.7 %

Shares of American Eagle Outfitters stock opened at $11.06 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $2.12 billion, a PE ratio of 9.45, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.82 and a beta of 1.57. American Eagle Outfitters has a 52 week low of $10.74 and a 52 week high of $26.25. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $14.76 and a 200-day moving average price of $17.65.

American Eagle Outfitters Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 25th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 11th will be paid a $0.125 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 11th. This represents a $0.50 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.52%. American Eagle Outfitters’s payout ratio is presently 42.74%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

AEO has been the topic of several analyst reports. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on American Eagle Outfitters from $16.00 to $12.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday. BMO Capital Markets reiterated a “market perform” rating and set a $15.00 price target (down from $19.00) on shares of American Eagle Outfitters in a report on Tuesday. StockNews.com lowered shares of American Eagle Outfitters from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, March 10th. Citigroup set a $13.00 target price on American Eagle Outfitters and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Bank of America dropped their price target on shares of American Eagle Outfitters from $18.00 to $13.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $16.00.

Insider Buying and Selling at American Eagle Outfitters

In other news, Director Cary D. Mcmillan sold 2,999 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $16.02, for a total value of $48,043.98. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 7.30% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On American Eagle Outfitters

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Blue Trust Inc. raised its stake in shares of American Eagle Outfitters by 95.7% during the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,916 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 937 shares during the period. Huntington National Bank boosted its stake in American Eagle Outfitters by 258.8% in the fourth quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 2,045 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 1,475 shares in the last quarter. Principal Securities Inc. boosted its stake in shares of American Eagle Outfitters by 2,239.1% in the 4th quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 2,573 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $43,000 after purchasing an additional 2,463 shares in the last quarter. Park Place Capital Corp bought a new position in shares of American Eagle Outfitters during the fourth quarter valued at about $45,000. Finally, State of Wyoming purchased a new position in American Eagle Outfitters in the 4th quarter worth approximately $49,000. Institutional investors own 97.33% of the company’s stock.

American Eagle Outfitters Company Profile

American Eagle Outfitters, Inc operates as a multi-brand specialty retailer in the United States and internationally. The company provides jeans, apparel and accessories, and personal care products for women and men under the American Eagle brand; and intimates, apparel, activewear, and swim collections under the Aerie and OFFLINE by Aerie brands.