Most teen retailers are slogging through the year. Aeropostale (ARO) and American Eagle Outfitters (AEO) have reported sagging sales so far. But Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF), another big teen retailer, has bucked the trend. Abercrombie & Fitch offers premium casual apparel via 1,071 stores in the United States, Canada, and Europe. It’s opening 45 new international stores this year.

So far, the retailer is fashionably on target. Its first quarter revenues shot up 22 percent to $836.7 million versus $687.8 million a year ago. And international sales alone rocketed up 64 percent. Earnings per share in the first quarter were 28 cents compared to 13 cents.

But there’s a catch. Recently, Abercrombie executives said that second-quarter earnings would be softer. The reason: Lower consumer demand and escalating material costs, such as cotton. Some analysts worry that Abercrombie’s recently successful retail strategy — aggressive promotions to boost sales — may be tough to repeat.

Lower expectations

Still, Abercrombie has lots of fans. Citigroup analysts maintained a buy rating on the stock, despite citing lower second-quarter earnings and flat unit prices. The share price target is $86.

Many analysts listed agree with Citigroup. Eleven tracked by Thomson/First Call have strong buy recommendations for Abercrombie, with 10 buys, and 10 holds.