Top 11 Apparel Manufacturer Stocks, Ranked by Marvin Scores
Marvin's rules rank 11 apparel manufacturer stocks by Overall score within their industry. Kontoor Brands, Ralph Lauren and Columbia Sportswear lead, while Under Armour's two listings sit at the bottom.
Apparel manufacturers design, make and sell clothing, footwear and accessories. This list covers 11 listings in that industry from companies above about $300 million in size. Kontoor Brands, Ralph Lauren and Columbia Sportswear come out on top by Marvin's Overall score.
The figures in each pick show how a company has performed recently. Growth is last year's change in revenue. Operating margin and free cash flow margin show how much of each sales dollar turns into profit or cash. Debt-to-equity shows how much a company relies on borrowing.
Keep in mind that Marvin's scores only compare a company with others in the same industry today. They are not a forecast, and a high score does not mean a stock is a good fit for you. Some figures are missing for certain companies, and the picks say so where it matters.
Under Armour appears twice, as UA and UAA. Both listings share the same business figures but get different scores.
The list
How Marvin ranked these stocks
Marvin included companies above about $300 million in size and ranked them by Marvin scores (0-100) within the Apparel - Manufacturers industry, with the highest Overall score first. Scores are relative to each company's own industry, so they show how a company compares with its apparel peers, not with the whole market.
Companies above about $300 million in size, ranked by Marvin scores (0-100, relative to each company's own industry). The Apparel - Manufacturers industry, highest Overall score first.
The stocks, one by one
Kontoor Brands, Inc. KTB
Kontoor Brands has the top Overall score, 94. Revenue growth was 20.9%, with an operating margin of 12.5% and a free cash flow margin of 12.3%, which suggests healthy growth and profits. Caution: debt-to-equity of 2.06 is among the higher levels in this group.
Ralph Lauren Corporation RL
Ralph Lauren has the highest quality score on the list, 94. Its gross margin of 70.3% and operating margin of 14.9% point to strong pricing and solid profits, and growth was 14.6%. Caution: free cash flow margin is not available, and its opportunity score is only 63.
Columbia Sportswear Company COLM
Columbia Sportswear scores 75 across Overall, quality and opportunity. Its gross margin of 52.2% and free cash flow margin of 9.4% look steady. Caution: revenue growth was just 0.9%, nearly flat, and no debt-to-equity figure is available.
Levi Strauss & Co. LEVI
Levi Strauss has a quality score of 81 and a gross margin of 62.8%, suggesting strong profitability on each sale. Return on equity is 24.4% and debt-to-equity is 0.97, a fairly modest level. Caution: revenue growth was only 4.1%.
G-III Apparel Group, Ltd. GIII
G-III Apparel has the lowest debt-to-equity in the group at 0.19, and its free cash flow margin is 9.6%. Caution: revenue growth was -7.0%, meaning sales shrank, and return on equity of 7.4% and operating margin of 6.3% are thin.
FIGS, Inc. FIGS
FIGS grew revenue by 13.6% and has a gross margin of 68.9%. Its free cash flow margin of 13.7% is the best among the middle-ranked names. Caution: its opportunity score is only 37, and no debt-to-equity figure is available.
V.F. Corporation VFC
V.F. Corporation has a gross margin of 54.8% and an operating margin of 6.0%, which is modest. Revenue growth was 1.1%, close to flat. Caution: its debt-to-equity of 2.69 is the highest on this list, so it relies heavily on borrowing.
PVH Corp. PVH
PVH Corp. has a gross margin of 58.8% and a free cash flow margin of 8.0%, while revenue growth was 3.4%. Caution: operating margin is a thin 4.1%, and return on equity of -3.5% is negative.
Oxford Industries, Inc. OXM
Oxford Industries has a high gross margin of 63.6% and a small positive free cash flow margin of 3.6%. Caution: its operating margin of -0.1% is negative, so operations did not earn a profit, and revenue growth was -2.6%.
Under Armour, Inc. UA
Under Armour (UA) has a gross margin of 46.8%, but little of that reaches the bottom line. Caution: operating margin is -2.4%, free cash flow margin is -1.6% and return on equity is -34.5%, all negative, and revenue growth was -3.8%.
Under Armour, Inc. UAA
Under Armour (UAA) is the second listing for the same company, with identical business figures: a gross margin of 46.8%, but an operating margin of -2.4% and return on equity of -34.5%. Caution: it has the lowest Overall score here, 12.
Common questions
What do apparel manufacturer companies do?
They design, produce and sell clothing and related items, often under brand names. Sales can be affected by consumer spending, fashion trends and the cost of materials and shipping.
Why does Under Armour appear twice?
UA and UAA are two listings tied to the same company, so the business figures in the data are identical. Their Marvin scores differ slightly, which is why they sit at different spots in the ranking.
Does a higher Marvin score mean a stock is the better choice?
No. The scores only show how a company compares with others in its industry today. They are not a prediction or advice, so readers should also look at the underlying figures, such as growth, margins and debt, and consider their own goals.
Keep reading
- Top 12 Apparel Stocks by Marvin Scores
- Top 15 Fastest-Growing Profitable Consumer Cyclical Stocks
- Top 15 Consumer Cyclical Stocks Right Now
- Top 15 Industrial REIT Stocks Ranked by Marvin Scores
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Marvin's scores (0-100) compare each company with others in its industry today. Growth and margin figures come from SEC filings. This is general information, not personal investment advice or a recommendation to buy or sell anything. Do your own research.