Abercrombie & Fitch reports Q3 adjusted EPS $1.83, consensus $1.18

Reports Q3 revenue $1.1B, consensus $980.9M. Total company comparable sales up 16%. Fran Horowitz, Chief Executive Officer, said, “Our strong third quarter results, with net sales and operating margin well-exceeding our expectations, speak to the power of our playbook working globally across our brand portfolio. Net sales growth of 20% accelerated from the second quarter and was once again led by Abercrombie brands with exceptional growth of 30%. At Hollister brands, we had a solid back to school season, delivering 11% net sales growth for the quarter as our assortment and brand evolution is resonating with our teen customer. With strong product acceptance and tightly-controlled inventories across brands, we delivered gross profit rate expansion of 570 basis points to last year in addition to global sales growth. Operationally, we made investments in technology, marketing and our people while delivering strong year-over-year operating leverage resulting in an operating margin of 13.1% for the quarter. Entering the important holiday season, our fiscal 2023 year-to-date results give us the confidence that we can continue to deliver for our customers and drive profitable growth. As such, we are increasing our full year outlook for both net sales growth and operating margin. I’d like to thank our global team for their unrelenting customer focus and unwavering commitment to our Always Forward Plan.”