Abercrombie & Fitch (NYSE:ANF) shares surged over 25% intra-day today after the retailer posted better-than-expected first-quarter earnings, fueled by strength in its Hollister brand.
The company reported adjusted EPS of $1.59, beating analyst expectations of $1.33. While revenue came in slightly below consensus at $1.06 billion versus $1.08 billion expected, it still marked 8% year-over-year growth.
Comparable sales rose 4% year-over-year, driven by a standout 22% increase at Hollister—its best-ever Q1 performance. This helped offset a 4% decline in the namesake Abercrombie brand.
ANF repurchased 2.6 million shares during the quarter for $200 million, reducing its share count by 5%.
Looking ahead, the company guided full-year EPS between $9.50 and $10.50, roughly in line with the $10.28 consensus. However, Q2 EPS guidance of $2.10–$2.30 came in below the $2.47 expected, slightly tempering the strong quarterly momentum.
