On trailing earnings, M is cheaper: AEO trades at a 10.07 P/E and M at 9.42.

Which has grown faster, AEO or M?

Over the past five years, AEO grew revenue faster — AEO at a 5.72% CAGR versus M at 2.77%.

Does AEO or M pay a bigger dividend?

AEO yields 3.06% and M yields 3.37% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is AEO or M more profitable?

AEO runs the higher net margin — AEO at 5.01% versus M at 2.94%.

Which has been the better investment, AEO or M?

Over the past 10-year, AEO delivered the higher annualized total return — AEO at 2.78% versus M at 0.33%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (AEO) vs Macy's, Inc. (M)

M leads on 11 of 16 compared metrics.

A side-by-side comparison of American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. and Macy's, Inc. across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of July 9, 2026. The ● marks the stronger figure on each row (cheaper multiple, higher margin/return).

AEO

American Eagle Outfitters, Inc.

$2.80B

$16.68Consumer Cyclical

Macy's, Inc.

$5.97B

$22.68Consumer Cyclical

Total return — AEO vs M

growth of $100 · last 30y

AEO +1859.5%M +33.5%AEO compounded faster

Log scale — wide-divergence pair

AEO M

AEO vs M: by the numbers

•M is the larger company ($5.97B vs $2.80B market cap).
•M trades at the lower earnings multiple (9.42 vs 10.07 P/E).
•AEO converts more revenue to profit (5.01% vs 2.94% net margin).
•AEO grew revenue faster over the past five years (5.72% vs 2.77% CAGR).
•M pays the higher dividend yield (3.37% vs 3.06%).

Which is better, AEO or M?

Metric tally: AEO 5 · M 11

It depends on what you're optimizing for:

ValueM(lower P/E)

GrowthAEO(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)

IncomeM(higher dividend yield)

QualityAEO(higher ROIC)

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	AEO	M
P/E ratio	10.07	9.42●
Forward P/E	11.83	10.37●
P/S ratio	0.50	0.27●
P/B ratio	1.71	1.28●
PEG ratio	—	0.66
EV / EBITDA	7.16	5.26●
FCF yield	0.53%	24.27%●

Profitability

Metric	AEO	M
Gross margin	34.76%	36.54%●
Operating margin	7.57%●	4.47%
Net margin	5.01%●	2.94%
ROE	17.05%●	13.79%
ROIC	6.98%●	6.63%

Dividends

Metric	AEO	M
Dividend yield	3.06%	3.37%●
Payout ratio	44.64%	32.32%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	AEO	M
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	5.72%●	2.77%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	-0.15%	4.50%●
FCF CAGR (5Y)	-44.42%	10.73%●
Total return CAGR (5Y)	-11.76%	9.50%●

Frequently asked

Which is better, AEO or M?: It depends on your goal. value: M (lower P/E); growth: AEO (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); income: M (higher dividend yield); quality: AEO (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, M leads 11 to 5.
Is AEO or M cheaper?: On trailing earnings, M is cheaper: AEO trades at a 10.07 P/E and M at 9.42.
Which has grown faster, AEO or M?: Over the past five years, AEO grew revenue faster — AEO at a 5.72% CAGR versus M at 2.77%.
Does AEO or M pay a bigger dividend?: AEO yields 3.06% and M yields 3.37% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is AEO or M more profitable?: AEO runs the higher net margin — AEO at 5.01% versus M at 2.94%.
Which has been the better investment, AEO or M?: Over the past 10-year, AEO delivered the higher annualized total return — AEO at 2.78% versus M at 0.33%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full AEO analysis Full M analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

American Eagle Outfitters P/E ratio Macy's P/E ratio American Eagle Outfitters dividend yield Macy's dividend yield American Eagle Outfitters ROE Macy's ROE American Eagle Outfitters operating margin Macy's operating margin American Eagle Outfitters revenue growth Macy's revenue growth American Eagle Outfitters free cash flow Macy's free cash flow

American Eagle Outfitters & Macy's appear in these rankings

Highest Dividend Yield Stocks Highest FCF Yield Stocks Lowest P/E Ratio 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 July 9, 2026.