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KeyBanc Downgrades Aeropostale (ARO) to Hold; Valuation Call

November 5, 2009 10:35 AM EST
ARO Hot Sheet
Rating Summary:
    10 Buy, 11 Hold, 2 Sell

Rating Trend: Up Up

Today's Overall Ratings:
    Up: 20 | Down: 11 | New: 38
KeyBanc downgrades Aeropostale, Inc. (NYSE: ARO) to Hold.

KeyBanc analyst says, "Aeropostale is up 110% (vs. S&P 500 up 12% over the same timeframe) since our January 6, 2009, initiation at BUY; we move to the sidelines. While we are reticent to move to the sidelines on the heels of a disappointing +3% October comp, we are taking a more conservative view on our coverage space and believe that ARO is in a strong long-term competitive position, we see opportunities elsewhere. Within our coverage universe, our top picks remain Gap, Inc. (NYSE: GPS), Nordstrom, Inc. (NYSE: JWN) and American Apparel (NYSE: APP)."

"At 11.0x 2010 P/E, the valuation looks fair, in our view. The stock still remains below its three-year 14x P/E average, which we think looks fair. With a 53% increase in our initial 2009 EPS view from January to our revised $3.16 annual EPS estimate, ARO has demonstrated significant earnings upside given strong execution and gross margin gains. While we think the bias on earnings estimates remains positive, we think that upward revisions could be more muted at this stage...We are raising our 3Q estimate from $0.86 to $0.91 on the heels of upwardly revised guidance."

To see more analyst ratings on ARO Click Here.


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