Is AEO or LQDT cheaper?

On trailing earnings, AEO is cheaper: AEO trades at a 11.60 P/E and LQDT at 40.80.

Which has grown faster, AEO or LQDT?

Over the past five years, LQDT grew revenue faster — AEO at a 5.72% CAGR versus LQDT at 16.76%.

Does AEO or LQDT pay a bigger dividend?

AEO pays a dividend (2.66% yield) while LQDT does not currently pay one.

Is AEO or LQDT more profitable?

LQDT runs the higher net margin — AEO at 5.01% versus LQDT at 6.30%.

Which has been the better investment, AEO or LQDT?

Over the past 10-year, LQDT delivered the higher annualized total return — AEO at 4.74% versus LQDT at 18.06%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (AEO) vs Liquidity Services, Inc. (LQDT)

LQDT leads on 8 of 15 compared metrics, though AEO is the cheaper stock.

A side-by-side comparison of American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. and Liquidity Services, Inc. across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of June 13, 2026. The ● marks the stronger figure on each row (cheaper multiple, higher margin/return).

AEO

American Eagle Outfitters, Inc.

$3.15B

$18.79Consumer Cyclical

LQDT

Liquidity Services, Inc.

$1.18B

$37.94Consumer Cyclical

Total return — AEO vs LQDT

growth of $100 · last 20y

AEO +17.7%LQDT +208.7%LQDT compounded faster

AEO LQDT

AEO vs LQDT: by the numbers

•AEO is the larger company ($3.15B vs $1.18B market cap).
•AEO trades at the lower earnings multiple (11.60 vs 40.80 P/E).
•LQDT converts more revenue to profit (6.30% vs 5.01% net margin).
•LQDT grew revenue faster over the past five years (16.76% vs 5.72% CAGR).
•AEO pays a dividend (2.66% yield) while LQDT does not currently pay one.

Which is better, AEO or LQDT?

Metric tally: AEO 7 · LQDT 8

It depends on what you're optimizing for:

ValueAEO(lower P/E)

GrowthLQDT(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)

QualityLQDT(higher ROIC)

Valuation

Metric	AEO	LQDT
P/E ratio	11.60●	40.80
Forward P/E	13.62●	25.21
P/S ratio	0.58●	2.55
P/B ratio	1.97●	5.52
PEG ratio	—	0.80
EV / EBITDA	8.46●	18.90
FCF yield	0.46%	6.35%●

Profitability

Metric	AEO	LQDT
Gross margin	34.76%	45.61%●
Operating margin	7.57%	8.37%●
Net margin	5.01%	6.30%●
ROE	17.05%●	13.62%
ROIC	6.98%	11.42%●

Dividends

Metric	AEO	LQDT
Dividend yield	2.66%	—
Payout ratio	44.64%	—

Growth (annualized)

Metric	AEO	LQDT
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	5.72%	16.76%●
EPS CAGR (5Y)	-0.15%●	-0.58%
FCF CAGR (5Y)	-44.42%	6.73%●
Total return CAGR (5Y)	-8.81%	10.63%●

Frequently asked

Which is better, AEO or LQDT?: It depends on your goal. value: AEO (lower P/E); growth: LQDT (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); quality: LQDT (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, LQDT leads 8 to 7.
Is AEO or LQDT cheaper?: On trailing earnings, AEO is cheaper: AEO trades at a 11.60 P/E and LQDT at 40.80.
Which has grown faster, AEO or LQDT?: Over the past five years, LQDT grew revenue faster — AEO at a 5.72% CAGR versus LQDT at 16.76%.
Does AEO or LQDT pay a bigger dividend?: AEO pays a dividend (2.66% yield) while LQDT does not currently pay one.
Is AEO or LQDT more profitable?: LQDT runs the higher net margin — AEO at 5.01% versus LQDT at 6.30%.
Which has been the better investment, AEO or LQDT?: Over the past 10-year, LQDT delivered the higher annualized total return — AEO at 4.74% versus LQDT at 18.06%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full AEO analysis Full LQDT analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

American Eagle Outfitters P/E ratio Liquidity Services P/E ratio American Eagle Outfitters dividend yield Liquidity Services dividend yield American Eagle Outfitters ROE Liquidity Services ROE American Eagle Outfitters operating margin Liquidity Services operating margin American Eagle Outfitters revenue growth Liquidity Services revenue growth American Eagle Outfitters free cash flow Liquidity Services free cash flow

American Eagle Outfitters & Liquidity Services appear in these rankings

Highest Dividend Yield Stocks Fastest Revenue Growth Stocks Highest FCF Yield Stocks Best 10-Year Total Return Stocks

Figures are sourced from reported fundamentals and the latest end-of-day price. This comparison is informational only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not predict future results. See our methodology. Compiled by TGMCharts Research · data verified June 13, 2026.