Abercrombie & Fitch operates as a specialty retailer in the family clothing stores industry.
The company is known for its portfolio of casual apparel brands, including its namesake and Hollister, targeting a youthful demographic with a distinct, aspirational lifestyle image.
Updated: February 19, 2026, 16:00 EST
Technical Analysis ANF shows strong intermediate-term momentum with a 33.9% gain over three months, significantly outperforming the market. Despite a recent 4.76% pullback, the stock is trading in a neutral zone relative to its 52-week range, suggesting it is neither overbought nor oversold. The higher beta indicates elevated volatility, which may appeal to investors comfortable with short-term price swings.
Fundamentals Revenue growth remains solid, though profitability has recently softened due to compressed operating margins. The company maintains strong pricing power (evidenced by a ~60% gross margin) and healthy liquidity, but operational efficiency could improve, particularly in inventory management. Manageable debt levels and positive cash flow provide a stable financial foundation.
Valuation & Risk ANF appears undervalued on a P/E basis, but the negative PEG ratio signals expected earnings decline, making the valuation complex. High volatility and a substantial historical drawdown highlight notable risk, though low short interest suggests limited bearish sentiment. The absence of industry benchmarks makes comparative assessment challenging.
Recommendation ANF presents a mixed profile: strong momentum and reasonable valuation multiples are counterbalanced by profitability concerns and anticipated negative growth. It may suit tactical investors seeking volatility-driven opportunities, but the risk-reward appears balanced for long-term holders. Caution is advised until earnings momentum stabilizes or sector comparisons clarify its relative appeal.
Based on the provided analysis, here is a 12-month outlook for ANF:
12-Month Outlook for ANF
The outlook for ANF over the next year is cautiously neutral, hinging on the company's ability to reverse its recent profitability softness. Key positive catalysts include its strong brand pricing power and solid revenue growth, which could drive upside if operational efficiency improves, particularly in inventory management. However, the primary risks are the expected earnings decline signaled by the negative PEG ratio and the stock's high volatility, which could lead to significant price swings. With analyst targets unavailable, the balanced risk-reward profile suggests the stock may trade within a wide range, likely between $80 and $115, as the market awaits clearer signs of stabilized earnings momentum.
Most Wall Street analysts are optimistic about Abercrombie & Fitch Co.'s 12-month outlook, with consensus target around $95.90, indicating expected upside potential.
Overall, ANF has investment potential but also faces challenges. Here are key factors to weigh before investing.
ANF has delivered exceptional long-term performance despite recent pressures, with strong three-month momentum outweighing short-term weakness. The stock demonstrates significant volatility relative to the broader market, as evidenced by its beta above 1.
Over the past month, ANF declined 4.76%, but this short-term weakness is overshadowed by a robust 33.9% three-month gain that substantially outperformed the market by 32.05%. This indicates strong intermediate-term momentum despite recent consolidation or profit-taking.
Currently trading near the midpoint of its 52-week range, ANF appears to be in a technically neutral position after its recent pullback from highs. The price sits approximately 46.6% above its yearly low but 28% below its peak, suggesting it is neither overbought nor oversold at current levels.
| Period | ANF Return | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|
| 1m | -4.8% | +1.0% |
| 3m | +33.9% | +1.9% |
| 6m | -5.7% | +6.5% |
| 1y | -7.0% | +12.1% |
| ytd | -22.5% | +0.2% |
Revenue & Profitability: ANF demonstrated solid revenue growth with Q3 2025 reaching $1.29 billion, up from $1.21 billion in Q2. However, profitability weakened as the net profit margin declined from 11.7% to 8.8% quarter-over-quarter, primarily due to lower operating income margins. The gross profit margin remained healthy at nearly 60%, indicating maintained pricing power despite the operational margin compression.
Financial Health: The company maintains adequate liquidity with a current ratio of 1.38, though the quick ratio of 0.76 suggests some reliance on inventory. Debt levels appear manageable with an interest coverage ratio exceeding 280x, but the debt-to-equity ratio of 1.55 indicates moderate leverage. Operating cash flow remains positive at $4.27 per share, supporting ongoing operations.
Operational Efficiency: ANF's operational efficiency shows mixed signals with a respectable ROE of 8.6% but relatively low asset turnover of 0.37. The 127-day inventory outstanding period suggests potential inventory management challenges, though the 55-day cash conversion cycle indicates reasonable working capital efficiency. Fixed asset turnover remains below 1.0, indicating room for improvement in asset utilization.
Get real-time data, AI-driven personalized investment analysis to make smarter investment decisions
Try Now & Get Tesla Stock RewardBased on the PE ratios (TTM of 8.28 and Forward of 7.52), ANF appears significantly undervalued on an earnings basis. However, the negative PEG ratio suggests the market anticipates negative future earnings growth, which is a major concern and a likely reason for the low PE. Furthermore, the high EV/EBITDA of 24.1 contradicts the low earnings multiples, indicating the market is valuing its enterprise-level cash flows at a substantial premium, which warrants further investigation into its underlying financial structure and capital expenditures.
Direct peer comparison is unavailable due to the absence of industry average data. However, a negative PEG ratio is generally a strong negative signal, differentiating it from most profitable growth companies that typically exhibit a positive figure. The combination of a low PE and high EV/EBITDA suggests a complex valuation profile that cannot be fully assessed without industry benchmarks for context.
Volatility Risk: ANF's beta of 1.162 indicates it is moderately more volatile than the broader market, suggesting amplified price swings during market fluctuations. This tendency for higher volatility is confirmed by a significant 1-year maximum drawdown of -37.58%, highlighting considerable downside risk experienced by investors over the recent period.
Other Risks: The absence of significant short interest suggests a lack of strong negative sentiment or aggressive bearish bets against the company from speculative traders. Investors should, however, remain vigilant of other standard risks, such as company-specific operational performance and broader sector-related headwinds that could impact valuation.
Bullish for opportunistic investors. Despite near-term volatility, ANF shows strong momentum with a 33.9% three-month gain, trades at an attractive P/E below 9, and benefits from raised sales guidance and efficiency investments. This suits risk-tolerant investors comfortable with retail cyclicality and willing to overlook the negative PEG ratio for potential short-to-medium-term gains.
Based on the data provided, ANF appears undervalued on a pure earnings basis but carries significant risk due to anticipated negative growth. Its P/E ratio of 8.3 and Forward P/E of 7.5 are exceptionally low, suggesting undervaluation compared to the broader market. However, the negative PEG ratio (-0.40) is a critical red flag, indicating the market expects earnings to decline. Furthermore, the high EV/EBITDA (24.1) contradicts the low P/E, creating a complex picture where the company's debt and capital expenditures may be inflating its enterprise value, overshadowing its apparent cheapness. While the stock looks inexpensive on the surface, the negative growth expectations justify the low valuation and suggest it is likely fairly valued or carries high risk.
Based on the provided information, here are the key risks of holding ANF stock, ordered by importance:
1. Profitability Compression Risk: A significant quarterly decline in the net profit margin from 11.7% to 8.8%, despite revenue growth, indicates operational inefficiencies or rising costs that are directly eroding earnings. 2. Inventory Management Risk: A high inventory outstanding period of 127 days suggests potential challenges in managing stock levels, which could lead to markdowns and negatively impact future profitability. 3. Market Volatility Risk: With a beta of 1.162 and a maximum drawdown of -37.58%, the stock is prone to amplified price swings compared to the broader market, increasing investment volatility. 4. Asset Utilization Risk: A low fixed asset turnover (below 1.0) indicates the company is not generating sales efficiently from its property and equipment, pointing to potential operational underperformance.
Based on the provided analysis, here is a forecast for ANF through 2026:
My 2026 target price range is $100 to $140, with a base case of $110 and a bull case contingent on successful execution of key growth drivers: reversing operational margin compression through improved inventory management and leveraging its strong brand pricing power to sustain revenue growth. The primary assumptions are that ANF stabilizes its profitability decline and maintains its current revenue momentum without a significant recession impacting consumer spending. This forecast carries high uncertainty, heavily dependent on the company's upcoming quarterly results to demonstrate a clear turnaround in earnings momentum, with the stock likely to experience high volatility until then.