Key Takeaways
- Columbia Sportswear gains from ACCELERATE strategy, product innovation and strong digital marketing.
- Polaris posted Q1 2026 adjusted EPS of $0.13, beating estimates and topping revenue expectations.
- VFC advances Reinvent program with growth in The North Face and Timberland outdoor brands.
The outdoor industry spans recreation, wellness, and lifestyle experiences centered around nature and activity away from home. This theme includes brands involved in outdoor gear, apparel, recreational vehicles, and equipment and services that support activities such as hiking, camping, boating, and off-roading.
Driven by shifting consumer values toward health, sustainability, and experience-driven living, the industry benefits from steady demand across various age groups and regions. Many companies in this space leverage brand loyalty, product innovation, and direct-to-consumer strategies to drive recurring sales and maintain premium positioning.
Here, we recommend three mid-cap outdoor industry stocks with a Zacks top rank to strengthen your portfolio. These are: Columbia Sportswear Co. (COLM – Free Report) , Polaris Inc. (PII – Free Report) and V.F. Corp. (VFC – Free Report) . Each of our picks currently carries a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
The chart below shows the price performance of our three picks year to date.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Columbia Sportswear Co.
Columbia Sportswear shows momentum driven by its ACCELERATE strategy, which targets younger consumers through refreshed branding and strong digital marketing. COLM’s product innovation and brand elevation, alongside contributions from the prAna brand support healthier demand and long-term growth potential.
COLM’s Profit Improvement Program is focused on improving operational efficiency and cost discipline while sustaining investment in brand building. COLM’s financial health remains solid with no debt, strong cash levels, share repurchases and dividends.
Columbia Sportswear has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 2.4% and 0.8%, respectively, for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year’s earnings has improved 7.5% over the last 30 days.
Polaris Inc.
Polaris designs, engineers, manufactures, and markets powersports vehicles in the United States, Canada, and internationally. PII operates through three segments: Off Road, On Road, and Marine.
PII offers off-road vehicles (ORVs), including all-terrain vehicles and side-by-side vehicles, military and commercial ORVs, snowmobiles, motorcycles, moto-roadsters, quadricycles, and pontoon and deck boats. PII sells its products through dealers and distributors as well as online.
PII came up with first-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings of $0.13 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of $0.43 per share. This compares to a loss of $0.9 per share a year ago. Quarterly revenues of $1.66 billion surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.38%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $1.54 billion.
Polaris has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 2.3% and more than 100%, respectively, for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year’s earnings has improved 3.6% over the last 30 days.
V.F. Corp.
V.F. has been progressing under its Reinvent transformation program. VFC is driving growth through disciplined cost management, balance sheet improvements, and strategic brand focus. Strength in the Outdoor segment, led by The North Face and Timberland, positions VFC well against durable consumer trends.
The North Face is seeing broad-based growth across categories. All product categories of VFC rose with strength in performance apparel and footwear. Ongoing investments in digital and supply-chain capabilities further enhance efficiency, supporting long-term growth, margins and improved VFC’s shareholder confidence.
V.F. has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 2.3% and 39.8%, respectively, for the current year (ending March 2027). The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year’s earnings has improved 4.6% over the last 30 days.
