Short Interest in Abercrombie & Fitch Company (NYSE:ANF) Drops By 14.0%
by Michael Walen · The Markets DailyAbercrombie & Fitch Company (NYSE:ANF – Get Free Report) saw a large decline in short interest during the month of February. As of February 13th, there was short interest totaling 2,849,475 shares, a decline of 14.0% from the January 29th total of 3,314,806 shares. Currently, 6.4% of the company’s stock are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 1,342,151 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.1 days. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 1,342,151 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.1 days. Currently, 6.4% of the company’s stock are short sold.
Abercrombie & Fitch Trading Down 7.6%
Shares of ANF traded down $7.26 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $88.39. 1,192,438 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,696,650. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.47 and a beta of 1.17. Abercrombie & Fitch has a fifty-two week low of $65.40 and a fifty-two week high of $133.11. The business’s 50 day moving average is $104.70 and its two-hundred day moving average is $93.39.
Abercrombie & Fitch (NYSE:ANF – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 4th. The apparel retailer reported $3.68 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.56 by $0.12. Abercrombie & Fitch had a return on equity of 38.01% and a net margin of 10.07%.The firm had revenue of $1.67 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.67 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $3.57 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 5.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Abercrombie & Fitch has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.200-1.300 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 10.200-11.000 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Abercrombie & Fitch will post 10.62 earnings per share for the current year.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
Several brokerages have commented on ANF. UBS Group dropped their price target on shares of Abercrombie & Fitch from $160.00 to $149.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. Barclays increased their target price on shares of Abercrombie & Fitch from $94.00 to $115.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Jefferies Financial Group cut their price target on shares of Abercrombie & Fitch from $135.00 to $130.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. Citigroup upgraded shares of Abercrombie & Fitch from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price objective for the company from $90.00 to $135.00 in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Abercrombie & Fitch from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 28th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $119.60.
View Our Latest Stock Analysis on ANF
Insider Activity
In other news, CEO Fran Horowitz sold 103,200 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $98.53, for a total value of $10,168,296.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 605,303 shares in the company, valued at approximately $59,640,504.59. This represents a 14.57% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 350,000 shares of company stock worth $34,661,358. Corporate insiders own 2.29% of the company’s stock.
Institutional Trading of Abercrombie & Fitch
Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in ANF. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in Abercrombie & Fitch by 2.0% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 4,781,446 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $601,841,000 after purchasing an additional 94,697 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its position in Abercrombie & Fitch by 56.0% during the 4th quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 2,504,240 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $315,209,000 after purchasing an additional 898,884 shares during the period. Bbfit Investments PTE Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Abercrombie & Fitch during the 4th quarter worth approximately $205,539,000. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its stake in shares of Abercrombie & Fitch by 5,749.6% during the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 1,194,013 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $102,148,000 after buying an additional 1,173,601 shares in the last quarter. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Abercrombie & Fitch by 41.2% in the 3rd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,176,990 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $100,691,000 after buying an additional 343,288 shares during the period.
Trending Headlines about Abercrombie & Fitch
Here are the key news stories impacting Abercrombie & Fitch this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat expectations — ANF reported $3.68 EPS vs. $3.56 consensus and record Q4 net sales of $1.67B (up 5%), showing continued demand and operational strength. GlobeNewswire: Q4 and FY Results
- Positive Sentiment: Hollister momentum and capital returns — Hollister delivered strong growth (record full‑year sales; double‑digit comp trends for the brand) and the company repurchased $450M of stock in FY2025 with $850M remaining on its authorization. These support upside to EPS per share over time. QuiverQuant summary
- Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain constructive — Multiple firms reaffirmed buy/outperform ratings and price targets in the $120–$130+ range (BTIG, Jefferies, Telsey), which signals continued analyst faith in ANF’s longer‑term thesis. Benzinga: Analyst Notes
- Neutral Sentiment: FY 2026 outlook mixed — ANF guided FY EPS to $10.20–$11.00 (slightly above consensus) and revenue to ~$5.4–5.5B, but trimmed near‑term growth expectations versus prior cadence. The full‑year view is acceptable, but contains offsetting assumptions (see tariffs). GlobeNewswire: Guidance
- Neutral Sentiment: Positive longer-term thesis coverage — commentary pieces (Seeking Alpha, Barron’s, Yahoo) argue the shares look attractively priced after recent weakness given brand repositioning, international expansion and a clean balance sheet. These are investment‑style views rather than immediate catalysts. Seeking Alpha: Durable Growth Thesis
- Negative Sentiment: Soft Q1 guidance drove selling — ANF gave Q1 EPS guidance of $1.20–$1.30 vs. a roughly $1.41 consensus, signaling near‑term earnings pressure that prompted investor selling despite the beat. Yahoo Finance: Q1 Guidance
- Negative Sentiment: Tariff headwinds and margin pressure — Management modeled a 15% U.S. import tariff (assumed effective Feb 24) and expects tariffs to reduce margins (~290 bps of sales impact in Q1, ~70 bps full year net of mitigation). That uncertainty and margin erosion are weighing on near‑term profit expectations. Reuters: Tariff Headwinds
- Negative Sentiment: Market reaction: shares falling despite beat — Coverage and headlines emphasize that the Q4 beat was overshadowed by the cautious Q1 outlook and tariff risk, which explains why the stock is trading down today even though results were solid. Barron’s: Stock Reaction
Abercrombie & Fitch Company Profile
Abercrombie & Fitch Co (NYSE: ANF) is an American specialty retailer that designs, markets and sells casual apparel and accessories for men, women and children. Founded in 1892 by David T. Abercrombie and Ezra Fitch, the company evolved from an outdoor gear outfitter to a global lifestyle brand renowned for its relaxed, preppy aesthetic. Its product assortment includes tops, bottoms, outerwear, intimates, swimwear, fragrances and personal care items.
The company operates under multiple brand names, including Abercrombie & Fitch, Abercrombie Kids, Hollister and Gilly Hicks, each targeting distinct consumer segments from teens to young adults.