Forbes·2025-09-10 11:46Core Insights - Urban Outfitters (URBN) is positioned as a more attractive investment compared to American Eagle Outfitters (AEO), trading at 14 times earnings versus AEO's 18 times, with better growth and improved margins [2] - URBN has shown significant stock appreciation of approximately 30% year-to-date, rising from around $55 in January to about $71 [4] - The company has strong growth drivers, particularly from its brands Free People and Anthropologie, with Free People revenues increasing by 12% year-on-year and Anthropologie generating $1.18 billion, a 7% increase [5] Growth - URBN's revenue has increased by over 8% in the last twelve months, achieving nearly $3 billion in sales in the first half of fiscal 2025, more than double AEO's results [6] - The subscription service Nuuly has seen a remarkable growth of 56% to $263 million, indicating a successful expansion into new commerce channels [5] Margins - URBN's trailing twelve-month margin exceeds 9%, while AEO's is approximately 6%, demonstrating greater profitability [6] - For the first half of FY2025, URBN recorded a 10.7% operating margin compared to AEO's 7.8%, highlighting URBN's operational efficiency [6] Tariffs and Cost Management - URBN anticipates around 75 basis points of margin compression in the second half of 2025 due to tariffs, but this is manageable given its solid margins and cost control [6] - AEO expects higher dollar costs due to tariffs, with an estimated impact of about $20 million in Q3 and $40–50 million in Q4, although mitigation efforts will reduce total exposure [6] Long-Term Perspective - For long-term investors, URBN presents an intriguing entry point with its premium brands, growth in subscriptions, and digital presence, supported by solid cash reserves and low debt [8]