The Panic-Proof Portfolio (Stockchase Research) Abercrombie & Fitch ANF-N TOP PICK Sep 02, 2021

Is up 216% this year and expectations are sky-high going into earnings this week. This is a huge risk if ANF disappoints in any way.

Great company. Excellent earnings. Would recommend buying. 

They report Wednesday. Do they deserve to be up 70& for the year? Their stores are always packed.

Top management have created amazing places to shop that attract Millennials and GenZers. Shares have more than doubled in the past year. They reported a huge EPS beat today. Their new wedding shop has succeeded huge.

They report this week, so you're playing Russian roulette, but it's a great operator run by a fine CEO. He expects a good quarter.

Is -17% in the past month, after they failed to delivered big numbers in their last quarter, a bad quarter.

Very mature company. Probably very little square footage growth, so it's driven by same-store sales. Tariffs may also be an overhang. If no recession, could be a good time to buy.

They have two businesses: A&F and Hollister appealing to a younger customer. The latter had a great quarter with same-store sales up 23% though A&F was -10%. Strong and weak. The CEO has rescued ANF from the brink, improving its toxic brand and marketing. They bought back $200 million of shares. ANF could explode if A&F turns around and Hollister remains hot. They avoided tariffs by sourcing from 16 countries.

Previous high flyer. Consumer tastes can change. From a technical perspective, a difficult name to want to own. Price below 200-day MA, which is falling. Murky earnings growth, even weak or very flat.