American Eagle Outfitters(AEO) - 2025 Q4 - Annual Results

Financial Performance - Fourth quarter comparable sales growth of 3% and operating income of $142 million[1] - Fiscal year 2024 total net revenue of$5.3 billion, a 1% increase, with comparable sales growth of 4%[9] - Aerie comparable sales increased by 6%, while American Eagle comparable sales grew by 1% in fiscal year 2024[9] - Gross profit for fiscal year 2024 was $2.1 billion, with a gross margin of 39.2$1,604,633, a decrease of 4.4% from $1,678,910 in the same quarter of the previous year[27] - Operating income for the fiscal year ended February 1, 2025, was$427,303, representing 8.0% of total revenue, up from 4.2% ($222,717) in the previous fiscal year[29] - Net income for the fiscal year ended February 1, 2025, was$329,380, or 6.2% of total revenue, compared to $170,038, or 3.2$5,328,652, a slight increase from $5,261,770 in the previous year[29] Shareholder Returns - The company returned over$190 million to shareholders through share repurchases in 2024, with an additional 50 million shares authorized for repurchase[1][12] Expenses and Profitability - Selling, general and administrative expenses for fiscal year 2024 were approximately $1.4 billion, roughly in line with the previous year[9] - GAAP diluted earnings per share for fiscal year 2024 was$1.68, with adjusted diluted earnings per share at $1.74[9] - The company reported a diluted earnings per share of$1.68 for the fiscal year ended February 1, 2025, compared to $0.86 in the previous year[29] Inventory and Capital Expenditures - Total ending inventory decreased by 1$637 million, indicating a healthy inventory position for the Spring season[10] - Capital expenditures for fiscal year 2024 totaled $223 million, with expectations of approximately$300 million for 2025[14] Store Operations - The company opened 22 new AE Brand stores and 22 Aerie stores during the fiscal year, while closing 45 AE Brand stores and 13 Aerie stores[33] - Total consolidated stores remained stable at 1,172 at the end of the fiscal year, with 371 international license locations[33] Future Outlook - The first quarter of 2025 is expected to see a mid-single digit decline in revenue, while fiscal year 2025 anticipates a low-single digit decline[16] Taxation - The effective tax rate for the fiscal year ended February 1, 2025, was 25.5%[36] Gross Profit Margin - Gross profit margin improved to 37.3% in Q4 2025 from 36.6% in Q4 2024, with gross profit amounting to $599,175 compared to$614,586[27] Aerie Segment Performance - Aerie segment revenue for Q4 2025 was $539,673, showing a slight increase from$537,462 in Q4 2024[31]