Citadel buys 6.3 percent stake in Abercrombi​e & Fitch

Citadel LLC, the hedge fund owned by US billionaire Ken Griffin, has bought a 6.3 percent stake in Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (ANF). Griffin and funds of Chicago-based Citadel held 5.2 million Abercrombie shares as of Nov. 14, according to

a regulatory filing as of Nov.20.

According to a 13G filed with the SEC, Citadel Advisors has significantly enhanced its stake in Abercrombie & Fitch Co. going from a tiny position in the teens apparel chain, to becoming the the third-largest investor with a 6.3 percent stake. Up to date, the hedge fund own 5,216,842 shares.

The fashion retailer has raised a good deal of interest among hedge funds and independent investors. The investment vehicle of Griffin is said to have pressured E*Trade Financial Corp. to sell itself as the company’s largest shareholder

Citadel made the purchase after activist investor Ralph Whitworth’s Relational Investors LLC built a 5 percent stake in the New Albany, Ohio-based company, according to Bloomberg. Months ago, activist investor Daniel Loeb’s Third Point LLC exited its position in Abercrombie, selling 1.85 million shares.