American Eagle cuts 4th quarter earnings outlook

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Teen clothing retailer American Eagle Outfitters Inc (AEO.N) said on Wednesday earnings for its fourth quarter ending on February 2 would be lower than expected because of a weaker sales environment.

The company said December sales at stores open at least a year fell 2 percent, hurt by weak customer traffic in its stores before Christmas.

Analysts, on average, had expected a decrease of 2.1 percent, according to Reuters Estimates.

The company cut its profit forecast for its fourth quarter to a range of 64 cents to 65 cents per share, from its previous forecast of 67 cents to 70 cents per share.

Analysts, on average, expected it to earn 68 cents a share in the quarter, according to Reuters Estimates.

Total sales rose 5 percent for the five weeks ended January 5 to $546.1 million. Sales were strong in most men's categories, and in products like sweaters and fleece for women, the company said on a recorded call.

(Reporting by Aarthi Sivaraman; Editing by Braden Reddall and Carol Bishopric)