V.F. (NYSE:VFC) Rating Lowered to "Underperform" at BNP Paribas Exane

Key Points

• V.F. Corporation (NYSE:VFC) was downgraded by BNP Paribas Exane from a "neutral" to an "underperform" rating, reflecting a bearish outlook on the company's performance.
• Several analysts have also revised their price targets on V.F., with estimates ranging from $12.00 to $19.00, indicating mixed sentiment among investors.
• Insider buying activity has been noted, with key executives purchasing significant shares, demonstrating confidence in the company's future despite recent downgrades.

BNP Paribas Exane downgraded shares of V.F. (NYSE:VFC - Free Report) from a neutral rating to an underperform rating in a research report sent to investors on Thursday, MarketBeat.com reports.

Other research analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price target on V.F. from $25.00 to $12.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on shares of V.F. from $25.00 to $18.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, May 19th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of V.F. from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, May 24th. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price objective on V.F. from $28.00 to $15.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, May 22nd. Finally, UBS Group upped their price objective on V.F. from $12.00 to $16.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, May 19th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, fifteen have assigned a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $16.04.

V.F. Price Performance

Shares of NYSE VFC traded up $1.18 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $12.84. 7,355,451 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 8,821,787. The business's fifty day moving average price is $12.35 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $15.93. V.F. has a 12-month low of $9.41 and a 12-month high of $29.02. The company has a current ratio of 1.27, a quick ratio of 0.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.76. The company has a market cap of $5.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -98.73, a PEG ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 1.68.

V.F. (NYSE:VFC - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 30th. The textile maker reported ($0.24) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.35) by $0.11. V.F. had a negative net margin of 0.50% and a positive return on equity of 22.77%. The business had revenue of $1.76 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.70 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned ($0.33) earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was down 7.3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts forecast that V.F. will post 0.73 EPS for the current fiscal year.

V.F. Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 18th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, September 10th will be given a $0.09 dividend. This represents a $0.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, September 10th. V.F.'s payout ratio is -276.92%.

Insider Activity at V.F.

In other news, EVP Abhishek Dalmia purchased 50,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, May 23rd. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $11.78 per share, with a total value of $589,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 380,614 shares in the company, valued at $4,483,632.92. This represents a 15.12% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Richard Carucci purchased 50,000 shares of V.F. stock in a transaction on Friday, May 23rd. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $12.05 per share, with a total value of $602,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 280,282 shares in the company, valued at $3,377,398.10. The trade was a 21.71% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders bought 185,840 shares of company stock worth $2,198,403. Company insiders own 1.10% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On V.F.

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of V.F. by 94.8% during the 2nd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 4,975 shares of the textile maker's stock valued at $58,000 after purchasing an additional 2,421 shares in the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in shares of V.F. in the first quarter valued at approximately $350,000. Entropy Technologies LP purchased a new stake in shares of V.F. in the first quarter valued at approximately $749,000. Arkadios Wealth Advisors increased its holdings in V.F. by 158.8% in the 2nd quarter. Arkadios Wealth Advisors now owns 56,904 shares of the textile maker's stock worth $669,000 after acquiring an additional 34,915 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Amalgamated Bank increased its holdings in V.F. by 46.2% in the 1st quarter. Amalgamated Bank now owns 152,410 shares of the textile maker's stock worth $2,365,000 after acquiring an additional 48,151 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.84% of the company's stock.

V.F. Company Profile

VF Corp. engages in the business of producing and marketing apparel, footwear, and accessories. It operates through the following segments: Outdoor, Active, Work, and Other. The Outdoor segment includes authentic outdoor-based lifestyle brands such as performance-based and outdoor apparel, footwear, and equipment.