VF positions itself for recovery

Article Excerpt

VF CORP. $28 is still a buy for long-term gains. The company (New York symbol VFC; Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 388.7 million; Market cap: $10.9 billion; Dividend yield: 4.3%; Takeover Target Rating: Medium; www.vfc.com) is one of the world’s largest apparel suppliers and a leader in the outdoor, sportswear, and workwear markets. Its main brands include Vans, The North Face, Timberland and Dickies. On May 22, 2019, VF spun off its Lee and Wrangler jeans business as a separately traded company called Kontoor Brands (New York symbol KTB). Investors received one share in Kontoor for every seven VF shares they held. So far, the split has produced mixed results: VF is down 70%, but Kontoor is up 55%. Consumers are spending less on discretionary apparel as they cope with rising inflation and interest rates. That has hurt VF’s earnings. As a result, the company is selling some of its less-important brands. To further conserve cash, VF is also cutting the quarterly dividend by 41.2%, to $0.30…