** Brokerage Raymond James initiates coverage on apparel maker American Eagle Outfitters AEO.N with "market perform" rating
** Sees balanced risk to reward ratio, seeks better visibility on upside potential to expectations, as sales growth slows and demand becomes choppier
** Says brokerage's checks on Google Trends and mobile app data point to softening trends for company in recent months
** Sees company's shares being range-bound until market gains confidence in growth acceleration, given expectations for slower growth, below peer average
** Brokerage also sees growth opportunity from positive momentum in jeans, attracting older consumers; expects AEO to continue repurchasing shares given its strong balance sheet and annual FCF generation
** Two of 11 brokerages rate the stock "buy", eight "hold" and one "sell"; with a median PT of $20.50
** Up to Thursday's close, stock has fallen 18% YTD
(Reporting by Neil J Kanatt in Bengaluru)
((Neil.JKanatt@thomsonreuters.com;))
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