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Are Investors Undervaluing American Eagle Outfitters (AEO) Right Now?

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Here at Zacks, we focus on our proven ranking system, which places an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions, to find winning stocks. But we also understand that investors develop their own strategies, so we are constantly looking at the latest trends in value, growth, and momentum to find strong companies for our readers.

Looking at the history of these trends, perhaps none is more beloved than value investing. This strategy simply looks to identify companies that are being undervalued by the broader market. Value investors use a variety of methods, including tried-and-true valuation metrics, to find these stocks.

In addition to the Zacks Rank, investors looking for stocks with specific traits can utilize our Style Scores system. Of course, value investors will be most interested in the system's "Value" category. Stocks with "A" grades for Value and high Zacks Ranks are among the best value stocks available at any given moment.

One company to watch right now is American Eagle Outfitters (AEO - Free Report) . AEO is currently holding a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) and a Value grade of A. The stock has a Forward P/E ratio of 10.70. This compares to its industry's average Forward P/E of 16.16. Over the last 12 months, AEO's Forward P/E has been as high as 15.79 and as low as 10.12, with a median of 13.19.

Investors will also notice that AEO has a PEG ratio of 0.95. This popular figure is similar to the widely-used P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also considers a company's expected EPS growth rate. AEO's PEG compares to its industry's average PEG of 1.36. AEO's PEG has been as high as 1.21 and as low as 0.58, with a median of 0.93, all within the past year.

Investors should also recognize that AEO has a P/B ratio of 2.30. The P/B ratio pits a stock's market value against its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. This company's current P/B looks solid when compared to its industry's average P/B of 4.50. Over the past year, AEO's P/B has been as high as 2.98 and as low as 1.89, with a median of 2.38.

Finally, investors will want to recognize that AEO has a P/CF ratio of 8.42. This metric takes into account a company's operating cash flow and can be used to find stocks that are undervalued based on their solid cash outlook. AEO's P/CF compares to its industry's average P/CF of 13.02. Over the past year, AEO's P/CF has been as high as 12.90 and as low as 7.25, with a median of 9.16.

These are just a handful of the figures considered in American Eagle Outfitters's great Value grade. Still, they help show that the stock is likely being undervalued at the moment. Add this to the strength of its earnings outlook, and we can clearly see that AEO is an impressive value stock right now.


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