Topic: How To Invest

I would value your quick views on the prospects of the retailers Aeropostale, American Eagle, Abercrombie & Fitch, Urban Outfitters, Gap Inc., Guess Inc., True Religion and Nordstrom. Thanks.

Article Excerpt

Aeropostale, $18.63, symbol ARO on New York (Shares outstanding: 80.8 million; Market cap: $1.5 billion; www.aeropostale.com), is a recommendation of our Stock Pickers Digest newsletter. It’s a buy. A: American Eagle, $14.69, symbol AEO on New York (Shares outstanding: 193.7 million; Market cap: $2.8 billion; www.ae.com), sells clothing, shoes and accessories, mainly to 15- to 25-year-old men and women. The company’s 937 Canadian and U.S. American Eagle stores are mainly located in shopping malls. It also operates 158 stand-alone Aerie outlets and 21 77kids locations. American Eagle had a good back-to-school period but a weak holiday season. Cotton prices should ease by the end of this year, and the company cleared most of its inventory in January, but it still expects lower earnings in the near term. We don’t recommend the shares. A: Abercrombie & Fitch, $49, symbol ANF on New York (Shares outstanding: 85.6 million; Market cap: $4.2 billion; www.abercrombie.com), sells men’s, women’s, and children’s clothing. The company operates under the names Abercrombie &..