Misery loves company Of course, the grass isn't any greener on the other side of the fence, given the struggles that both Aeropostale and American Eagle Outfitters have had in remaining profitable in the current selling environment. While American Eagle Outfitters managed to stay in the black in FY2013, Aeropostale was not so lucky, reporting a large operating loss due to steep markdowns that caused its merchandise margin to dip into the dangerous mid-teens range. With its cash reserves dwindling, Aeropostale was recently forced to seek a capital infusion to avoid running into a potential liquidity trap, hopefully buying the company time to overhaul its operations.