Abercrombie & Fitch (NYSE:ANF) is an Ohio-based company that operates as an omnichannel retailer in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and internationally. Its shares were down over 15% in late morning trading on Wednesday, August 28, 2024. However, the stock was still up 51% in the year-to-date period. What is behind this recent slump?
The company unveiled its second quarter (Q2) fiscal 2024 earnings on the same day. Abercrombie set a record for net sales of $1.1 billion in the quarter – up 21% compared to Q2 FY2023. Meanwhile, there was board-based net sales growth across all regions and brands, with Abercrombie brands delivering growth of 26%.
Abercrombie reported that its operating margin expanded 590 basis points to 15.5%, with record Q2 operating income of $176 million.
Looking ahead, Abercrombie is projecting net sales growth in the range from 12% to 13% from $4.3 billion in fiscal 2023. That is up from the increase to the previous outlook of 10%. The company anticipates that its Abercrombie brands will outperform Hollister brands, potentially bolstering the regional performance.
Abercrombie currently possess a price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) of 17 at the time of this writing. That puts the clothing retailer in attractive value territory at the time of this writing. Meanwhile, earnings are set to grow steadily going forward. Abercrombie has a long track record of consistency.
