V.F. Sees Unusually Large Options Volume (NYSE:VFC)

Key Points

• V.F. saw unusually heavy put-option activity, with 20,957 puts purchased—about 49% above average—indicating elevated hedging or bearish speculation.
• The company beat quarterly expectations, reporting $0.70 adjusted EPS versus $0.54 expected and roughly $2.70 billion in revenue. The North Face and Timberland grew 4% each, though Vans revenue fell 10% and total revenue declined about 4% year over year.
• Management reaffirmed its fiscal 2027 outlook, including at least 2% constant-currency revenue growth and an approximately 8% adjusted operating margin, while maintaining a $0.09 quarterly dividend. Analysts remain cautious, with a consensus “Hold” rating and an $18.33 price target.

V.F. Corporation (NYSE:VFC - Get Free Report) was the target of some unusual options trading activity on Thursday. Investors acquired 20,957 put options on the stock. This is an increase of approximately 49% compared to the average volume of 14,060 put options.

V.F. Stock Performance

Shares of V.F. stock traded up $1.13 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $18.36. The company had a trading volume of 11,995,163 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,665,715. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $14.53 and a 200 day simple moving average of $16.97. The stock has a market cap of $7.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.61, a PEG ratio of 0.90 and a beta of 1.56. The company has a quick ratio of 0.78, a current ratio of 1.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.70. V.F. has a 12-month low of $12.45 and a 12-month high of $22.27.

V.F. (NYSE:VFC - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 28th. The textile maker reported $0.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.54 by $0.16. V.F. had a net margin of 2.88% and a return on equity of 18.91%. The business had revenue of $2.70 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.66 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.52 EPS. V.F.'s revenue for the quarter was down 3.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts predict that V.F. will post 1.10 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

V.F. Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 17th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, December 10th will be issued a $0.09 dividend. This represents a $0.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, December 10th. V.F.'s dividend payout ratio is presently 52.17%.

More V.F. News

Here are the key news stories impacting V.F. this week:

• Positive Sentiment: V.F. exceeded second-quarter expectations. Adjusted EPS was $0.70, above the $0.54 consensus estimate, while revenue of approximately $2.70 billion also topped forecasts. Net income rose to $285.3 million from $189.8 million year over year, helped by margin expansion. V.F. Corporation earnings report
• Positive Sentiment: Key brands delivered growth. The North Face and Timberland revenue each increased 4%, while Altra also contributed to performance. Direct-to-consumer revenue rose 1%, and Vans direct-to-consumer sales reportedly grew for the first time in five years. VF Corp. Q2 brand performance
• Positive Sentiment: Management reaffirmed its fiscal 2027 outlook. V.F. continues to expect at least 2% constant-currency revenue growth and an adjusted operating margin of about 8%. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.09 per share, supporting the stock’s income appeal. V.F. reaffirms outlook and dividend
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst sentiment was mixed. BTIG maintained a Buy rating with a $23 price target, while BNP Paribas Exane upgraded the stock to Neutral and Robert W. Baird raised its target to $16 but retained a Neutral rating. Baird’s target remains below the recent trading level.
• Negative Sentiment: Vans remains a major weakness. Vans revenue declined 10% year over year to $547.6 million, and total company revenue fell about 4%. Wholesale revenue also decreased 6%, highlighting the uneven recovery across V.F.’s brands. V.F. earnings and Vans weakness
• Negative Sentiment: Put-option activity increased. Investors purchased roughly 20,957 put options, about 49% above typical daily volume, signaling elevated hedging or bearish speculation.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Richard Carucci acquired 20,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 13th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $14.73 per share, with a total value of $294,600.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 356,215 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,247,046.95. This trade represents a 5.95% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Bracken Darrell bought 32,894 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 31st. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $14.98 per share, for a total transaction of $492,752.12. Following the purchase, the insider owned 1,402,109 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $21,003,592.82. The trade was a 2.40% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. 1.54% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of V.F.

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Parallel Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of V.F. by 27.9% in the first quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 2,694 shares of the textile maker's stock valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 588 shares in the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC lifted its position in V.F. by 282.9% during the first quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 3,052 shares of the textile maker's stock worth $52,000 after buying an additional 2,255 shares in the last quarter. IFP Advisors Inc boosted its stake in V.F. by 27.3% during the second quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 6,682 shares of the textile maker's stock worth $111,000 after buying an additional 1,431 shares during the last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its stake in V.F. by 213.7% during the second quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 8,078 shares of the textile maker's stock worth $135,000 after buying an additional 5,503 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in V.F. in the 2nd quarter valued at $171,000. 86.84% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently commented on VFC. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of V.F. from $18.00 to $16.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price target on V.F. from $19.00 to $17.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, July 30th. UBS Group set a $17.00 price target on V.F. in a research report on Monday, October 19th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "sell (d+)" rating on shares of V.F. in a report on Tuesday, September 1st. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $21.00 price objective on shares of V.F. in a research note on Monday. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, V.F. presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $18.33.

V.F. Company Profile

V.F. Corporation, commonly known as VF Corporation, is a global apparel, footwear and accessories company. Its brand portfolio includes The North Face, Vans, Timberland, Dickies, JanSport, Smartwool, Icebreaker, Kipling, Eastpak and Napapijri. These brands serve outdoor, active, workwear, lifestyle and youth-oriented markets.

VF sells products through wholesale partners, company-operated retail stores, brand websites and other digital channels. Its offerings include jackets, outdoor and performance apparel, footwear, backpacks, luggage and workwear.

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