Bracken Darrell, President and CEO of V F Corporation (VFC), recently bought 65,360 shares. The buy increased his stake by 83 percent, and came to a total cost of $1,005,296.
This is the first insider buy of the year. However, last year saw over a dozen insider buys, largely from directors, but also a 10,000 share buy from the company’s interim President and CEO. The last insider sale occurred in May 2022.
In total, VFC insiders own 0.9 percent of shares.
The apparel designer and manufacturer is down 43 percent over the past year, even after an activist investor has recently taken an interest in the company.
VF Corp. has struggled in the past year, missing earnings estimates in three out of the last four quarters, and the company is failing to turn a profit.
Currently, shares trade at 9 times forward earnings.
Action to take: It may be a bit early for a turnaround. However, large insider buying and improving conditions, even with recent losses, could lead to the start of an uptrend.
VF Corp cut its dividend last year, and still pays a 2.3 percent yield. However, if the company’s earnings don’t increase soon, a further cut may lie ahead.
For traders, the announcement of an activist investor could kick off an uptrend in the months ahead. The April $20 calls, last trading for about $0.70, could see high double-digit returns from here on a further move higher.
Disclosure: The author of this article has no position in the company mentioned here, but may trade after the next 72 hours. The author receives no compensation from any company mentioned in this article.