On Wednesday, VF Corp (NYSE:VFC) announced it has reached an agreement to divest its Supreme brand to EssilorLuxottica for $1.5 billion in cash. The deal, which involves the high-profile streetwear brand that VF Corp acquired in 2020, is anticipated to be finalized before the conclusion of the calendar year 2024.
Supreme has been a notable component of VF Corp's Active segment, contributing approximately 5% to the company's sales. In fiscal year 2024, Supreme reported revenue of $538 million, marking a year-over-year increase of around 3%.
Despite recent quarters showing double-digit growth, this figure remains shy of the $562 million revenue peak reached in fiscal year 2022. The brand's operating income stood at $166 million, representing over 30% operating margin and approximately 29% of VF Corp's fiscal year 2024 operating profits.
The sale of Supreme is expected to have a dilutive effect on VF Corp's earnings for the fiscal year ending in March 2025. The transaction comes at a time when VF Corp is focusing on managing upcoming debt maturities and reducing leverage. The divestiture is seen as a strategic move to streamline the company's brand portfolio, which could potentially enhance the allocation of resources and improve operational performance for its core brands.
In other recent news, VF Corp has been making strategic moves to enhance its capital structure and improve brand performance. The company decided to sell the Supreme brand for $1.5 billion, a transaction that Stifel anticipates will address maturing debt and improve leverage ratios. Despite the sale being slightly dilutive to the company's earnings per share for fiscal year 2025, Stifel maintains a Buy rating on VF Corp, with a steady price target of $19.
Another significant development in VF Corp's strategy is the reshuffling of its management team. The company recently appointed Michelle (Sun) Choe as the Global Brand President of Vans and Caroline Brown as the Global Brand President of The North Face.
Both appointments are expected to drive growth and value creation for their respective brands, with Stifel expressing confidence in the potential for a sales uptick for the Vans brand under new leadership.
In terms of board changes, VF Corp welcomed Mindy Grossman and Kirk Tanner as independent directors, a move seen as part of the company's ongoing board refreshment process. These recent developments in VF Corp demonstrate the company's proactive approach to navigating the dynamic global market and meeting evolving consumer demands.
InvestingPro Insights
In light of VF Corp's recent announcement to divest its Supreme brand, investors may find value in the real-time metrics and analysis provided by InvestingPro. With a current market cap of $6.3 billion, VF Corp's financials reflect a challenging period with a negative P/E ratio of -6.43, signaling that the company has recently experienced losses.
Still, the company has exhibited a strong return over the last three months, with a 16.86% total price return, which could indicate a recovering trajectory. Notably, VF Corp has upheld its commitment to shareholders through consistent dividend payments for 54 consecutive years, with a current dividend yield of 2.53%.
InvestingPro Tips highlight that VF Corp is expected to return to profitability this year, which aligns with the strategic divestiture of the Supreme brand to potentially streamline operations. Furthermore, the company's high shareholder yield is a point of interest for investors seeking companies that prioritize returning value.
It is worth noting that there are additional insights available on InvestingPro, including 13 analysts who have revised their earnings forecasts downwards for the upcoming period, which should be considered when evaluating the company's future performance.
For a more comprehensive analysis and additional InvestingPro Tips on VF Corp, investors are encouraged to explore the full set of insights available at Investing.com/pro/VFC. There are currently 5 more tips to discover, which can be accessed with a subscription. To enhance your investment decisions, use the exclusive coupon code PRONEWS24 to get up to 10% off a yearly Pro and a yearly or biyearly Pro+ subscription.
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