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For veteran brand-name apparel producer VF Corp. (VFC), a strategic move into the action sports and outerwear markets has proved fruitful.

The company's history dates back to 1899. Its Wrangler and Lee jeans brands have been around for decades. Apparel and accessory brands Nautica and JanSport are also consumer staples. But the North Face brand of performance outerwear, Vans shoes and Kipling brand of nylon-based women's handbags have not only widened VF's style range but also boosted the firm's top and bottom lines.

In an April 29 report of Q1 results, VF said its outdoor and action sports business notched record revenue and operating income. Revenue grew 16% and included a 21% jump in international sales. VF's jeanswear revenue rose 9%. Total revenue rose 12% to $1.96 billion and earnings grew 19%.

VF has executed well amid the mild U.S. economic recovery. Earnings per share have increased 10% to 58% from year-ago levels for six straight quarters.

Sales have picked up 1% to 12% in the past five quarters. The faster rate of profit growth vs. sales growth hints at the company's ability to improve its business operations and squeeze more profit from each dollar of sales. In line with this trend, VF's return on equity has improved from 15.6% in 2009 to 18.5% last year.

VF Corp.'s 76 Earnings Per Share Rating means it's posted stronger long- and short-term profit growth than nearly one-quarter of all stocks in IBD's database. Even better is its three-year Earnings Stability factor of 8, which on a scale of 1 (most stable) to 99 indicates an unusually consistent record of profit.

This week, VF reported that the late-April blitz of tornadoes in the Southeast U.S. destroyed a jeanswear distribution facility in Hackleburg, Ala. One employee was killed. The firm said it will take time to determine how big an impact the tragedy will have on operating results.

VF paid $2.52 a share in dividends over the past four quarters, equal to a 2.5% annualized yield.

VF's stock has outperformed the market. While the NYSE composite was up 5.8% for 2011 through Wednesday's close, VF has risen 16% over the same time frame.