Stock Traders Purchase Large Volume of VF Call Options (NYSE:VFC)

VF Corporation (NYSE:VFC) was the target of unusually large options trading on Monday. Stock traders purchased 35,728 call options on the stock. This is an increase of 83% compared to the average daily volume of 19,569 call options.

VF Price Performance

Shares of VFC traded up $0.63 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $17.36. 4,896,831 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 8,157,500. VF has a one year low of $11.00 and a one year high of $21.40. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -5.72, a PEG ratio of 3.27 and a beta of 1.53. The company has a current ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 0.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.84. The business has a 50-day moving average of $18.52 and a 200 day moving average of $15.55.

VF (NYSE:VFC) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, August 6th. The textile maker reported ($0.33) earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.37) by $0.04. VF had a negative net margin of 11.39% and a positive return on equity of 11.75%. The company had revenue of $1.90 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.85 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted ($0.15) earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 8.9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts expect that VF will post 0.6 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

VF Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 18th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 10th were given a $0.09 dividend. This represents a $0.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.07%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, September 10th. VF’s payout ratio is presently -11.92%.

Insider Transactions at VF

In other VF news, Director Richard Carucci acquired 15,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 22nd. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $16.70 per share, with a total value of $250,500.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 230,178 shares in the company, valued at $3,843,972.60. The trade was a 0.00 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On VF

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of VF by 328.0% in the second quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,623,875 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $21,922,000 after purchasing an additional 1,244,448 shares in the last quarter. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky lifted its holdings in shares of VF by 90.7% in the 2nd quarter. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky now owns 202,723 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $2,737,000 after acquiring an additional 96,442 shares during the last quarter. Murphy Pohlad Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in VF during the 2nd quarter valued at $1,668,000. Smith Thornton Advisors LLC bought a new stake in VF during the 2nd quarter valued at $436,000. Finally, Scientech Research LLC increased its position in VF by 220.1% during the 2nd quarter. Scientech Research LLC now owns 93,861 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $1,267,000 after purchasing an additional 64,541 shares during the period. 86.84% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on VFC. BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on VF from $13.00 to $14.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 7th. Wedbush reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $13.00 target price on shares of VF in a research report on Monday, August 5th. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on VF in a research report on Friday, September 27th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $20.00 target price for the company. TD Cowen upped their target price on VF from $9.00 to $16.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 6th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus increased their price objective on VF from $21.00 to $25.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, October 14th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, fourteen have assigned a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $17.24.

VF Company Profile

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.