AEO vs ANF Stock Comparison
Compare AEO and ANF across AIQ Score, fundamentals, valuation, momentum, risk, analyst expectations and current market evidence.
What is the main difference between AEO and ANF?
ANF leads the current stock comparison as Abercrombie & Fitch Co., with the clearest separation coming from quality and the broader AIQ evidence mix.
AlgovestIQ AIQ Comparison
American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. vs Abercrombie & Fitch Co.
ANF leads
ANF leads by 15 AIQ points, primarily on Quality and Momentum, but the lead has narrowed from 20 points over 30 sessions. Wall Street currently favors AEO on target upside.
Fragile: 3 of 6 evidence groups support ANF, its lead is narrowing, and its current signal state is conflicted.
American Eagle Outfitters, Inc.
Abercrombie & Fitch Co.
The Algovestiq AIQ Score currently favors ANF over AEO, 71 versus 56 as of Sep 6, 2026. ANF's advantage is driven primarily by stronger quality and momentum, while AEO holds the stronger value profile. ANF also shows the stronger technical structure relative to its 50-day moving average, though analyst target upside currently favors AEO. 3 of 6 covered evidence groups favor ANF today, and the comparison is rated Fragile on stability: only 3 of 6 covered evidence groups agree. ANF lead: Weakening — the AIQ differential moved from 20 to 15 points over 30 sessions.
Compare American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. and Abercrombie & Fitch Co. across the Algovestiq AIQ Score, valuation, quality, momentum, risk, technicals and analyst expectations.
Performance over time
Price-return comparison using available daily close history.
Total return comparison
Growth of $10,000
Based on available close-price history. Distribution reinvestment is not added unless already reflected in the source series.
Compare AEO and ANF against another ticker
Open a multi-ticker workspace without changing this focused pair page.
AIQ Factor Divergence
Where the two separate, on the four dimensions behind the AIQ Score. Bars read outward from a shared zero: further from the centre is a wider gap.
- Quality30%46 vs 84ANF +38
- Momentum25%64 vs 85ANF +21
- Value30%68 vs 60AEO +8
- Risk Resilience15%41 vs 43Even
3 of 6 evidence groups favor ANF. ANF’s edge is concentrated in quality and momentum; AEO keeps a meaningful value edge.
What changed since the last close
Latest scored session 2026-09-05, compared against the prior scored session 2026-09-04.
No factor moved materially.
No new signals fired.
No factor moved materially.
No new signals fired.
ANF's lead was unchanged in the latest snapshot.
Deeper signal detail for each name lives on its own signals page — AEO and ANF both carry a full feed there.
The central trade-off
ANF (Abercrombie & Fitch Co.): the stronger current systematic profile, led by quality and momentum.
AEO (American Eagle Outfitters, Inc.): the counter-case, on value, valuation, analyst expectations.
The AIQ Score and Wall Street therefore point in different directions on this pair.
Which one fits your objective
The same two names rank differently depending on what you are optimizing for. All six reads are shown at once — none of them is hidden behind a toggle.
Balanced
ANFANF on the overall AIQ Score, which weights Quality and Value at 30% each.
Growth
ANFANF on combined revenue and EPS growth.
Value
AEOAEO on the peer-relative Value factor, by 8 points.
Momentum
ANFANF on the Momentum factor, by 21 points.
Lower downside
AEOAEO carries the lower 1-month annualized volatility.
Analyst upside
AEOAEO on implied upside to the consensus price target.
AIQ vs Wall Street
The model and the Street disagree here: AIQ favors ANF, analyst targets favor AEO. That disagreement is the most useful thing on this page.
| Measure | AEO | ANF | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Implied upside to target | +9.3% | -10.7% | AEO has more room |
| Target dispersion | +31.6% | +81.6% | Lower is tighter analyst agreement |
| Consensus | Hold | Buy | Context, not a primary driver |
| Analysts covering | 4 | 9 | Higher coverage generally improves confidence |
The two are measuring different things. The AIQ Score reads current fundamentals, valuation, trend and risk; analyst targets price forward expectations. A divergence of this kind is either a contrarian opportunity or a sign the model is missing something already priced in — it is worth resolving before acting on either.
Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions. Dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.
AIQ Agreement Matrix
3 of 6 covered evidence groups favor ANF. A wide gap backed by one group is a weaker case than a narrow gap backed by five.
| Evidence group | Favors | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| AIQ Score | ANF | 56 vs 71 |
| Fundamentals | ANF | revenue growth -32.1% vs 13.7%; EPS growth -73.1% vs 181.9%; TTM ROE 17.2% vs 39.6%; gross margin 34.8% vs 62.9%; operating margin 7.6% vs 13.7% |
| Valuation | AEO | Value 68 vs 60 |
| Technicals | ANF | Price vs 50-day 2.1% vs 39.3%; vs 200-day -12% vs 54.2% |
| Risk Resilience | Even | Risk Resilience 41 vs 43 |
| Analyst expectations | AEO | Target upside 9.3% vs -10.7% |
✓ agrees with the overall verdict · ✕ points the other way. Groups marked “not covered” lack data on one or both of AEO and ANF and are excluded from the count.
AIQ Decision Stability
The conclusion is sensitive to small changes. Treat the lead as provisional and watch the flip conditions below.
- The AIQ gap is wide at 15 points. (supports the conclusion holding)
- Only 3 of 6 covered evidence groups agree. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- The leader's advantage has been narrowing. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- The leader is throwing conflicting signals. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- Analyst targets on the leader are widely dispersed. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
Stability combines the score gap, how broadly the evidence agrees, how steady the lead has been across daily snapshots, the current signal state on both names, and analyst dispersion on ANF.
How the comparison changed
120 daily snapshots · Apr 24 – Sep 5ANF lead: Weakening — the AIQ differential moved from 20 to 15 points over 30 sessions.
- Today
- ANF +15
- 56 vs 71
- 7 sessions ago
- ANF +22
- 50 vs 72
- 30 sessions ago
- ANF +20
- 48 vs 68
- 90 sessions ago
- ANF +19
- 47 vs 66
The lead has not changed hands in this window.
AIQ Signal Divergence
Only the signals that bear on the head-to-head. A conflicted name is carrying bullish and bearish rules at the same time — the technical evidence is not pointing one way.
1 bullish / 1 bearish / 2 neutral, conflicted
- Death Cross Active — bearish, trend, long horizon (15.95%)
- Bollinger Band Squeeze — neutral, volatility, short horizon
- ATR Expansion - Breakout Mode — neutral, volatility, short horizon (3.95%)
6 bullish / 1 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted
- Golden Cross Active — bullish, trend, long horizon (10.69%)
- Keltner Channel Breakout — bullish, volatility, short horizon
- RSI Overbought — bearish, momentum, short horizon
ANF leads the comparison while carrying a conflicted signal state, which is one reason the stability rating is not higher.
Price vs model alignment
Whether the latest session's price move confirms what the model did over the same session, or contradicts it.
Neither the price nor the AIQ Score moved enough in the latest session to confirm or contradict the other (price +2.23%, AIQ 0 points).
Neither the price nor the AIQ Score moved enough in the latest session to confirm or contradict the other (price +4.27%, AIQ 0 points).
What would flip this result
A state, not a forecast. These are the specific, observable changes that would reverse the verdict — not a price prediction.
- 1AEO closes the Quality gap — currently 38 points behind, the largest single contributor to ANF's edge.
- 2AEO's Death Cross Active resolves — a bearish trend rule currently active against it.
- 3ANF's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 6 bullish and 1 bearish rules at once.
- 4The narrowing continues — the lead has already given back 5 points over 30 sessions, and a further 15-point move would eliminate ANF's advantage entirely.
The full evidence
Every number behind the verdict. The leader is called above each group so you are not left to solve it from the table.
Fundamentals
ANF leads on balance| Metric | AEO | ANF |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth (YoY) | -32.1% | 13.7% |
| EPS growth (YoY) | -73.1% | 181.9% |
| Gross margin | 34.8% | 62.9% |
| Operating margin | 7.6% | 13.7% |
| Return on equity (TTM) | 17.2% | 39.6% |
| Debt to equity | 1.14 | 0.95 |
Performance
ANF leads 5 of 6 windows| Metric | AEO | ANF |
|---|---|---|
| 1 week (5 sessions) | 3.1% | 0.8% |
| 1 month (20 sessions) | -3.2% | 32.9% |
| 3 months (63 sessions) | 5.8% | 87.2% |
| 6 months (126 sessions) | -5.8% | 62.4% |
| Year to date | -34.1% | 18.9% |
| 1 year (252 sessions) | 27.7% | 58.6% |
Technicals
ANF has the stronger structure| Metric | AEO | ANF |
|---|---|---|
| RSI (14) | 60.3 | 76.7 |
| ADX (14) | 11.2 | 36.5 |
| Price vs 50-day | 2.1% | 39.3% |
| Price vs 200-day | -12% | 54.2% |
| Volatility (1M, annualized) | 49% | 136% |
Risk
Split| Metric | AEO | ANF |
|---|---|---|
| Beta | 1.28 | 1.08 |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.04 | 0.93 |
| Sortino ratio | 0.05 | 1.92 |
| Max drawdown | -47.3% | -45.6% |
| Current drawdown | -38.3% | 0% |
| Annualized volatility | 52.3% | 72.2% |
| Value at risk (95%) | -4.8% | -4.9% |
Straight answers
Each answer is regenerated from the current snapshot, not written once and left to age.
Which is better, AEO or ANF?
On the Algovestiq AIQ Score, ANF is the stronger of the two as of Sep 6, 2026, scoring 71 against AEO's 56. The edge comes from quality and momentum. AEO is not without a case — it holds the better value profile, which matters more if that is the objective you are optimizing for. This is a systematic score, not a recommendation: it ranks the two on the same evidence, it does not know your holding period or tax position.
Is AEO or ANF the better buy right now?
ANF carries the stronger systematic profile as of Sep 6, 2026, and the comparison is rated Fragile — 3 of 6 covered evidence groups agree. A Fragile rating means the conclusion is sensitive: only 3 of 6 covered evidence groups agree. Treat the lead as provisional.
Why does the AIQ Score favor ANF over AEO?
The composite weights Quality at 30%, Value at 30%, Momentum at 25% and Risk Resilience at 15%. ANF leads Quality by 38 points; ANF leads Momentum by 21 points; AEO leads Value by 8 points. Where the two split, the factor with the larger weight carries the result.
Which has more analyst upside, AEO or ANF?
Analyst price targets imply +9.3% upside for AEO and -10.7% for ANF, so the Street currently favors AEO. That points the opposite way to the AIQ Score, which favors ANF. The two are measuring different things: the model reads current fundamentals, valuation, trend and risk; the Street is pricing forward expectations. A divergence of this kind is either a contrarian opportunity or a sign the model is missing something the analysts have already priced — it is the single most useful row on this page to investigate. Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions, and dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.
Which is better value, AEO or ANF?
AEO is the better-valued of the two on the peer-relative Value factor. AEO on the peer-relative Value factor, by 8 points. The Value factor reads valuation relative to sector peers and to the company's own fundamental quality, so it is not the same as simply having the lower multiple.
Which has stronger growth, AEO or ANF?
ANF on combined revenue and EPS growth. Growth here is measured on reported revenue and earnings, not on forward estimates — it describes what the businesses have delivered, not what the Street expects next.
Which has stronger momentum, AEO or ANF?
ANF on the Momentum factor, by 21 points. Momentum carries 25% of the AIQ composite. It has documented persistence over three- to twelve-month horizons, which makes it a timing input rather than a reason to hold something indefinitely.
Which is riskier, AEO or ANF?
AEO is the more resilient of the two, so the other name carries the higher downside risk. AEO carries the lower 1-month annualized volatility. The Risk Resilience factor weights 15% of the composite; position sizing usually responds to it more usefully than the buy/avoid decision does.
Is AEO more profitable than ANF?
ANF leads on the comparable margin measures — gross margin 34.8% vs 62.9%; operating margin 7.6% vs 13.7%; ttm roe 17.2% vs 39.6%.
Is ANF's lead over AEO getting stronger or weaker?
ANF lead: Weakening — the AIQ differential moved from 20 to 15 points over 30 sessions. This is measured from 120 daily comparison snapshots between 2026-04-24 and 2026-09-05. The lead has not changed hands in that window.
What would change the AEO vs ANF verdict?
The result is a state, not a forecast, so it changes when the underlying evidence changes. Concretely: AEO closes the Quality gap — currently 38 points behind, the largest single contributor to ANF's edge; AEO's Death Cross Active resolves — a bearish trend rule currently active against it; ANF's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 6 bullish and 1 bearish rules at once; the narrowing continues — the lead has already given back 5 points over 30 sessions, and a further 15-point move would eliminate ANF's advantage entirely.
What do the current signals say about AEO and ANF?
AEO: 1 bullish / 1 bearish / 2 neutral, conflicted. ANF: 6 bullish / 1 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted. A conflicted state means bullish and bearish rules are active on the same name at once — the technical evidence is not pointing one way, and a decision taken on it carries more timing risk. The most decision-relevant rule on AEO is Death Cross Active (bearish, long horizon). On ANF it is Golden Cross Active (bullish, long horizon).
Compare AEO and ANF with others
How this comparison is scored
The Algovestiq AIQ Score composites four factors — Quality (30%), Value (30%), Momentum (25%) and Risk (15%). Sentiment is reported separately as SentimentPulse and is not folded into the composite. Scores refresh every trading day, and this page regenerates from the latest snapshot rather than being written once.
The verdict names a leader, states how broadly six independent evidence groups agree, and rates how durable that conclusion is given the score gap, its recent trajectory and the current signal state on both names.
How to use side-by-side comparison →This comparison is informational and educational, not investment advice. AIQ scores update daily; re-check after earnings, guidance or macro data that materially changes either name’s factor profile.