V.F. (NYSE:VFC) Upgraded at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of V.F. (NYSE:VFC) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report released on Sunday.

Several other analysts also recently commented on the company. Guggenheim assumed coverage on V.F. in a research note on Tuesday, December 9th. They issued a “neutral” rating for the company. Citigroup increased their target price on shares of V.F. from $14.00 to $20.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on V.F. from $16.00 to $18.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Barclays reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of V.F. in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of V.F. in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, V.F. presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $18.16.

V.F. Stock Performance

NYSE:VFC opened at $17.31 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.55, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.99. V.F. has a 1-year low of $9.41 and a 1-year high of $21.92. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $19.02 and its 200-day moving average is $17.25. The stock has a market cap of $6.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.16 and a beta of 1.64.

V.F. (NYSE:VFC) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 28th. The textile maker reported $0.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.43 by $0.15. The company had revenue of $2.88 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.81 billion. V.F. had a return on equity of 19.08% and a net margin of 2.33%.The firm’s revenue was up 1.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.62 earnings per share. Equities research analysts anticipate that V.F. will post 0.73 earnings per share for the current year.

V.F. Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 19th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 10th were paid a $0.09 dividend. This represents a $0.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 10th. V.F.’s dividend payout ratio is currently 65.45%.

Insider Buying and Selling at V.F.

In other news, Director Juliana L. Chugg sold 6,678 shares of V.F. stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $21.30, for a total transaction of $142,241.40. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 40 shares in the company, valued at approximately $852. This trade represents a 99.40% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On V.F.

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of VFC. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in V.F. by 59.7% during the third quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,748 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 1,027 shares during the last quarter. Rexford Capital Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of V.F. during the 2nd quarter valued at $48,000. Rothschild Investment LLC raised its position in shares of V.F. by 705.8% during the 3rd quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 3,747 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $54,000 after buying an additional 3,282 shares in the last quarter. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates bought a new stake in shares of V.F. during the 3rd quarter worth $82,000. Finally, Farther Finance Advisors LLC grew its position in V.F. by 50.1% in the third quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 7,465 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $108,000 after acquiring an additional 2,490 shares in the last quarter. 86.84% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About V.F.

VF Corporation, commonly branded as VF, is a global apparel and footwear company that develops, markets and distributes a diverse portfolio of consumer brands. Its offerings span outdoor and action sports apparel, footwear and accessories under marquee names such as The North Face, Vans, Timberland, Dickies, JanSport and Smartwool. Through a “house of brands” strategy, VF leverages the unique heritage and design expertise of each label to serve distinct lifestyle and performance segments.

Founded in 1899 in Pennsylvania as the Reading Glove and Mitten Manufacturing Company, VF evolved through a series of acquisitions and strategic expansions to become a leading player in the global apparel industry.