American Eagle Outfitters 2009 Annual Report Download - page 72

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
The Board of Directors and Stockholders of
American Eagle Outfitters, Inc.
We have audited American Eagle Outfitters, Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting as of January 30,
2010, based on criteria established in Internal Control — Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of
Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (the COSO criteria). American Eagle Outfitters, Inc.’s
(the Company) management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting, and
for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting included in the accompanying
Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an
opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board
(United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about
whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit
included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material
weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the
assessed risk, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe
that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance
regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in
accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting
includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail,
accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable
assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance
with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made
only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable
assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of the company’s
assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect
misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that
controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the
policies or procedures may deteriorate.
In our opinion, American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control
over financial reporting as of January 30, 2010, based on the COSO criteria.
We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board
(United States), the consolidated balance sheets of American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. as of January 30, 2010 and
January 31, 2009 and the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income, stockholders’
equity, and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended January 30, 2010 of American Eagle Outfitters,
Inc. and our report dated March 26, 2010 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.
/s/ Ernst & Young LLP
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
March 26, 2010
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