American Eagle Stock Soars 20 Percent After Left Melts Down Over Sydney Sweeney Ad

Sarah Arnold | August 05, 2025 10:30 PM

American Eagle’s stock soared 20 percent this week, sending its market value close to $400 million after a viral backlash from the Left over its “good jeans” ad featuring actress Sydney Sweeney. The iconic American retailer got a significant sales boost after President Donald Trump publicly praised Sweeney, following revelations that she’s a registered Republican. The cultural firestorm translated into serious gains—shares of American Eagle closed more than 23 percent higher as consumers rallied behind the brand.

"Oh, now I adore her ad … If Sydney Sweeney is registered, I think her ad is fantastic,” Trump said.

The American Eagle ad uses a play on words to describe Sweeney’s “great genes.”

“Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality, and even eye color,” Sweeney says in the ad. “My jeans are blue.”

Liberals were quick to slam the ad, absurdly accusing it of promoting eugenics over a simple play on words about genetics. But the joke's on them, Sweeney's spot sent American Eagle jeans, as President Trump put it, “flying off the shelves."

After a rough start to the year, with shares down 21 percent and a disappointing first-quarter earnings report that included an $85 million loss and a three percent drop in sales, American Eagle has come roaring back. On August 4, the stock surged an impressive 23.5 percent, closing at $13.32 per share and boosting the company’s market cap to $2.3 billion. Despite previous setbacks, American Eagle's stock is now up 25 percent over the past month, far outperforming the S&P 500’s modest 1.2 percent gain. The stock has traded between $9.27 and $22.82 over the past year, but this latest rally signals renewed investor confidence in the retailer’s turnaround.