Morgan Stanley Cuts American Eagle Outfitters (NYSE:AEO) Price Target to $12.00

American Eagle Outfitters (NYSE:AEO) had its price target cut by Morgan Stanley from $16.00 to $12.00 in a research report report published on Thursday morning,Benzinga reports. They currently have an equal weight rating on the apparel retailer’s stock.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently weighed in on AEO. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on American Eagle Outfitters from $23.00 to $20.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. Raymond James initiated coverage on shares of American Eagle Outfitters in a research note on Friday, December 13th. They set a “market perform” rating for the company. UBS Group dropped their target price on shares of American Eagle Outfitters from $32.00 to $28.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday. Telsey Advisory Group decreased their price target on shares of American Eagle Outfitters from $18.00 to $12.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reiterated a “market perform” rating and set a $15.00 price objective (down previously from $19.00) on shares of American Eagle Outfitters in a research note on Tuesday. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, American Eagle Outfitters has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $16.00.

American Eagle Outfitters Stock Performance

NYSE:AEO opened at $11.06 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $2.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.45, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.82 and a beta of 1.57. American Eagle Outfitters has a one year low of $10.74 and a one year high of $26.25. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $14.76 and a 200 day simple moving average of $17.61.

American Eagle Outfitters Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 25th. Investors of record on Friday, April 11th will be given a $0.125 dividend. This represents a $0.50 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.52%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 11th. American Eagle Outfitters’s dividend payout ratio is currently 29.76%.

Insider Buying and Selling at American Eagle Outfitters

In other news, Director Cary D. Mcmillan sold 2,999 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $16.02, for a total transaction of $48,043.98. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 7.30% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On American Eagle Outfitters

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Investors Research Corp lifted its stake in shares of American Eagle Outfitters by 1.4% in the 3rd quarter. Investors Research Corp now owns 46,239 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $1,035,000 after acquiring an additional 650 shares during the period. MetLife Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in American Eagle Outfitters by 0.7% during the fourth quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 105,949 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $1,766,000 after purchasing an additional 724 shares in the last quarter. Gallagher Fiduciary Advisors LLC lifted its position in American Eagle Outfitters by 5.2% in the fourth quarter. Gallagher Fiduciary Advisors LLC now owns 15,740 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $262,000 after purchasing an additional 783 shares during the period. TCM Advisors LLC boosted its stake in American Eagle Outfitters by 2.1% during the 4th quarter. TCM Advisors LLC now owns 39,400 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $657,000 after purchasing an additional 800 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. increased its position 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. Institutional investors own 97.33% of the company’s stock.

About American Eagle Outfitters

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.