AMERICAN EAGLE REPORTS 73% EARNINGS JUMP FOR 2015

For Fiscal 2015, American Eagle Outfitters’ earnings per share jumped a whopping 73 percent to $1.09 from $0.63 in 2014. The company also reported earnings per share of $0.42 for the fourth quarter ended January 30, 2016, a 17 percent increase from $0.36 for the comparable quarter last year.

For fiscal 2015, the apparel retailer’s total net revenue increased 7 percent to $3.52 billion from $3.28 billion last year; consolidated comparable sales increased 7 percent, compared to a 5 percent decrease last year; gross profit increased 13 percent to $1.3 billion; and operating income increased 55 percent to $320 million.

In the fourth quarter, total net revenue increased 3 percent to $1.11 billion from $1.07 billion last year; consolidated comparable sales increased 4 percent, compared to flat comparable sales last year; gross profit increased 3 percent to $388 million; and operating income increased 3 percent to $116 million.

“Initiatives to strengthen our merchandise and improve operational execution fueled strong results in 2015,” said CEO Jay Schottenstein. “As broadly reported, the fourth quarter was a challenging period for the apparel industry due to a number of macro factors. Despite this, we achieved sales growth and a modest increase in operating income. We are encouraged that our spring season is off to a good start against positive results last year. Our focus in 2016 will center on continuous merchandise improvements, elevating our efforts on customer acquisition and optimizing the strength of our operations and brands. I’m confident in our ability to drive further growth and deliver shareholder returns.”