V.F. Sees Unusually High Options Volume (NYSE:VFC)
by Amy Steele · The Cerbat GemV.F. Corporation (NYSE:VFC – Get Free Report) was the target of some unusual options trading activity on Friday. Traders bought 22,360 put options on the stock. This is an increase of 76% compared to the average daily volume of 12,700 put options.
V.F. Stock Performance
V.F. stock traded up $1.48 on Friday, hitting $21.60. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 4,807,418 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,696,069. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $18.29 and a 200-day moving average price of $17.54. The company has a quick ratio of 1.03, a current ratio of 1.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.99. V.F. has a one year low of $10.15 and a one year high of $21.92. The firm has a market cap of $8.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.98 and a beta of 1.65.
V.F. (NYSE:VFC – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The textile maker reported $0.58 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.43 by $0.15. V.F. had a net margin of 2.33% and a return on equity of 19.08%. The business had revenue of $2.88 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.81 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.62 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 1.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts anticipate that V.F. will post 0.73 earnings per share for the current year.
V.F. Announces Dividend
The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 19th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 10th were issued a dividend of $0.09 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 10th. This represents a $0.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.7%. V.F.’s dividend payout ratio is currently 65.45%.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
A number of research firms have issued reports on VFC. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of V.F. from $15.00 to $20.00 and gave the company a “cautious” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on shares of V.F. in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $18.00 target price on the stock. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of V.F. from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Citigroup boosted their price objective on shares of V.F. from $14.00 to $20.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Argus raised shares of V.F. to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $18.47.
View Our Latest Report on V.F.
Insider Activity 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 shares were sold at an average price of $21.30, for a total value of $142,241.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 40 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $852. The trade was a 99.40% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.
Institutional Investors Weigh In On V.F.
A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Segall Bryant & Hamill LLC boosted its stake in V.F. by 43.4% during the 3rd quarter. Segall Bryant & Hamill LLC now owns 4,938,084 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $71,257,000 after acquiring an additional 1,495,148 shares during the last quarter. Fiduciary Alliance LLC raised its holdings in shares of V.F. by 22.0% in the third quarter. Fiduciary Alliance LLC now owns 586,877 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $8,469,000 after purchasing an additional 105,786 shares during the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of V.F. by 14.0% in the fourth quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 659,773 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $11,930,000 after purchasing an additional 81,006 shares during the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC grew its stake in shares of V.F. by 115.2% in the third quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 113,951 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $1,644,000 after buying an additional 60,998 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Optimize Financial Inc bought a new position in shares of V.F. in the third quarter valued at $574,000. Institutional investors own 86.84% of the company’s stock.
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.