Piper Sandler upgrades VF Corp to 'overweight', shares rise

** Shares of apparel retailer VF Corp VFC.N rise 3% to $16.27 in premarket trading

** Piper Sandler upgrades stock to "overweight" from "neutral"; raises PT to $20 from $16, representing a 26.6% upside to the stock's last close of $15.79

** Brokerage cites Vans' ranking as a favorite footwear brand among male consumers holding steady, while improving among higher-income shoppers

** Combined with stronger direct-to-consumer trends, this suggests brand interest may have bottomed and could return to growth as new products gain traction across wholesale channels through fiscal 2027 and 2028, it adds

** 9 of 25 brokerages rate the stock "buy" or higher, 14 "hold" and 2 "sell" or lower; their median PT is $16 - LSEG-compiled data

** As of last day's close, stock down 12.6% YTD