Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF) 1Q16 Results: Abercrombie Experiences Traffic Challenges that Are Not Expected to Improve in 2Q

Executive Summary

• Abercrombie & Fitch reported adjusted 1Q16 EPS of $(0.53) versus the consensus estimate of $(0.51).
• Total revenues were $685.5 million versus consensus of $709.5 million. Comps declined by 4% versus expectations of 1.5% increase. By brand, comps at Abercrombie were down 8% versus consensus of a 0.7% decline and comps at Hollister were flat versus consensus of 3%. By region, US comps were down 2% and international comps were down 7%.
• Management expects 2Q16 to remain challenging overall and specifically in terms of comp results. For FY16, the company expects to see comps improve in the second half. Gross margins are expected to increase slightly over last year and operating expenses are expected to be flat year over year on a US-dollar basis.