American Eagle's Still Climbing
By
Mike Cianciolo
September 7, 2007
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Perhaps I'm not cut out to invest in the volatile world of retail stocks after all. You see, a few weeks ago, I decided to buy shares of American Eagle (NYSE: AEO), sensing it had been sold off too aggressively. I knew going in that the stock price would have wild fluctuations in the short term. However, I fully expect it to perform well in the long term, which (as any good Fool knows) is really all that matters.
What has me concerned -- and that's really too strong a word -- is the fact that so many people seem to agree American Eagle is a good investment. In my head, I hear Warren Buffett warning me to run in the opposite direction of the consensus, and I suddenly feel like a lemming. Then I see the Street's reaction, pushing the stock price lower recently despite strong same-store sales growth, and I feel better again.
Despite the stock-price fluctuation, the company continues to perform as expected. Its August sales increased 13% to $311.3 million, and comps soared 9%. The comps increase came in ahead of estimates of 6% growth as back-to-school shoppers came in droves to find the latest threads. The retailer seemed to be in greater demand than similar outfits like Aeropostale (NYSE: ARO) and Abercrombie & Fitch (NYSE: ANF), which posted gains of 1.7% and 6%, respectively.
Along with its sales results, the company reiterated its guidance for the third quarter. It expects to report earnings per share of $0.47 to $0.48, which would be an increase of about 7% to 9% over last year's third-quarter results.
In typical fashion, investors apparently want even better results from American Eagle and pushed its stock price lower the past few days. While it's not fun to watch the price fall, I know not to worry about it. I happen to think it's still a great long-term option that remains a value.
For more on the up-and-down world of retail stocks, check out:
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