Weyco Group (NASDAQ:WEYS) versus V.F. (NYSE:VFC) Head to Head Contrast

V.F. (NYSE:VFC) and Weyco Group (NASDAQ:WEYS) are both consumer discretionary companies, but which is the superior investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, earnings, institutional ownership, dividends, profitability, risk and valuation.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

86.8% of V.F. shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 23.6% of Weyco Group shares are owned by institutional investors. 1.5% of V.F. shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 36.4% of Weyco Group shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Dividends

V.F. pays an annual dividend of $0.36 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.7%. Weyco Group pays an annual dividend of $1.12 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.9%. V.F. pays out 39.1% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Weyco Group pays out 27.1% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. Weyco Group has raised its dividend for 3 consecutive years. Weyco Group is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth.

Profitability

This table compares V.F. and Weyco Group’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
V.F.	3.93%	21.78%	4.14%
Weyco Group	13.96%	16.11%	12.83%

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares V.F. and Weyco Group”s revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
V.F.	$9.61 billion	0.85	$254.92 million	$0.92	22.43
Weyco Group	$276.17 million	2.05	$23.08 million	$4.13	14.33

V.F. has higher revenue and earnings than Weyco Group. Weyco Group is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than V.F., indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Volatility & Risk

V.F. has a beta of 1.49, suggesting that its stock price is 49% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Weyco Group has a beta of 0.91, suggesting that its stock price is 9% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of current recommendations for V.F. and Weyco Group, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
V.F.	0	14	6	2	2.45
Weyco Group	0	0	1	0	3.00

V.F. presently has a consensus target price of $18.89, indicating a potential downside of 8.46%. Given V.F.’s higher possible upside, research analysts clearly believe V.F. is more favorable than Weyco Group.

About V.F.

V.F. Corporation, commonly known as VF Corporation, is a global apparel, footwear and accessories company. Its portfolio includes brands such as The North Face, Vans, Timberland and Dickies, which serve outdoor, active, workwear and lifestyle markets. The company sells products through wholesale partners, its own retail stores and e-commerce channels. Its brands offer items including outdoor clothing and equipment, footwear, workwear, backpacks and accessories to customers in the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific.

About Weyco Group

Weyco Group, Inc. is a footwear company that designs, sources, markets and distributes branded men’s shoes and accessories. Its portfolio includes Florsheim, Nunn Bush, Stacy Adams, BOGS and Forsake, serving dress, casual, outdoor and work-oriented footwear markets. The company sells its products through department stores, specialty footwear retailers, independent retailers, e-commerce platforms and its own branded websites. Its business is organized around wholesale and direct-to-consumer channels, with products distributed primarily in North America and also in select international markets, including Europe and Australia.