Abercrombie shares soar 18% on Hollister growth, strong earnings beat

Core Insights - Abercrombie & Fitch shares increased by 16% in premarket trading following a 7% growth in quarterly sales and positive holiday guidance [1] Financial Performance - The company reported a net income of $113 million, or $2.36 per share, compared to $131.98 million, or $2.50 per share, a year earlier [4] - Quarterly sales rose to $1.29 billion, reflecting a 7% increase from $1.21 billion in the same quarter last year [4][5] - Earnings per share exceeded expectations at $2.36 versus the anticipated $2.16 [5] Sales Guidance - For the fourth quarter, Abercrombie expects sales growth between 4% and 6%, which is below Wall Street's expectation of 5.6% [2] - The company anticipates earnings per share to be between $3.40 and $3.70, aligning closely with the expected $3.55 per share [2] Brand Performance - The Abercrombie brand has seen moderated growth, while Hollister is expected to drive sales during the holiday season [3] - CEO Fran Horowitz indicated that sales at Abercrombie are expected to be flat in the current quarter, highlighting Hollister's role in the company's performance [3]