The Goldman Sachs Group Begins Coverage on VF (NYSE:VFC)

The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on shares of VF (NYSE:VFC) in a report published on Friday morning, Marketbeat reports. The firm issued a neutral rating and a $20.00 target price on the textile maker’s stock.

Several other research analysts also recently issued reports on the stock. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of VF from $12.00 to $17.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Friday, August 16th. Citigroup raised shares of VF from a neutral rating to a buy rating and increased their target price for the stock from $11.00 to $20.00 in a research note on Thursday, July 18th. Telsey Advisory Group increased their target price on VF from $15.00 to $19.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on VF in a report on Friday, September 27th. They set a hold rating and a $20.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of VF from $15.00 to $16.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research report on Friday, September 6th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, fifteen have assigned a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $16.94.

VF Price Performance

Shares of NYSE VFC opened at $20.33 on Friday. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $18.26 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $15.26. VF has a twelve month low of $11.00 and a twelve month high of $21.40. The company has a market cap of $7.91 billion, a PE ratio of -6.73, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 1.53. The company has a quick ratio of 0.51, a current ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.84.

VF (NYSE:VFC) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 6th. The textile maker reported ($0.33) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.37) by $0.04. The business had revenue of $1.90 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.85 billion. VF had a positive return on equity of 11.75% and a negative net margin of 11.39%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 8.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted ($0.15) earnings per share. On average, analysts predict that VF will post 0.73 EPS for the current year.

VF Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 18th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 10th were paid a dividend of $0.09 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, September 10th. This represents a $0.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.77%. VF’s payout ratio is -11.92%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Richard Carucci purchased 15,000 shares of VF stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 22nd. The stock was bought at an average cost of $16.70 per share, for a total transaction of $250,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 230,178 shares in the company, valued at $3,843,972.60. This trade represents a 0.00 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of VF

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Mather Group LLC. purchased a new stake in shares of VF in the first quarter worth $27,000. Future Financial Wealth Managment LLC purchased a new stake in VF during the first quarter valued at about $31,000. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC purchased a new position in shares of VF in the first quarter worth about $39,000. Bank & Trust Co bought a new stake in VF in the second quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc raised its holdings in VF by 6,981.1% during the 2nd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 2,620 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 2,583 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 86.84% of the company’s stock.

About VF

V.F. Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the design, procurement, marketing, and distribution of branded lifestyle apparel, footwear, and accessories for men, women, and children in the Americas, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific. It operates through three segments: Outdoor, Active, and Work.