Lower costs should spur these two

Article Excerpt

On May 22, 2019, apparel maker VF Corp. spun off its Lee and Wrangler jeans business as the publicly traded Kontoor Brands. Investors received one share in Kontoor for every seven VF shares they held. So far, the split has produced mixed results. While the new Kontoor shares have soared 114%, the former parent is down 80%. In response, in July 2023, VF brought in a new CEO Bracken Darrell, who launched a turnaround strategy. The plan includes selling smaller brands to reduce debt and shrinking its inventories. As a result, the stock has nearly doubled since falling to $11 in May 2024 and should continue to recover. We also continue to like the outlook for Kontoor, which is also enjoying the benefits of a plan to lower its costs and pay down debt. VF CORP. $19 is a buy for aggressive investors. The company (New York symbol VFC; Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 389.3 million; Market cap: $7.4 billion; Dividend yield: 1.9%; Takeover Target Rating: Medium;…