Every material Form 8-K Kontoor Brands filed with the SEC in 2026, read and summarized by AI: what happened, the key figures, whether it reads positive or negative for shareholders, and how big a deal it is (impact 1-5). Newest first; each brief links to its own page and to the filing on SEC.gov.
Kontoor Brands completed the sale of its H.D. Lee Company subsidiary to ABG-Storm LLC, an affiliate of Authentic Brands Group, on November 2, 2026. The company received $750 million in cash at closing, subject to post-closing adjustments, plus up to $250 million in earnout payments tied to the Lee business's performance over five years. The filing says the company anticipates using $400 million for accelerated share repurchases and $50 million for open market repurchases.
Closing date: November 2, 2026; cash at closing of $750 million before post-closing adjustments
Pro forma estimate of cash received after adjustments: approximately $698.2 million
Earnout of up to $250 million over five years; estimated fair value at closing of $77.0 million
Planned use of proceeds: $400 million in accelerated share repurchases and $50 million in open market repurchases
Kontoor Brands reported third-quarter 2026 revenue of $685 million, up 3%, and adjusted diluted EPS of $1.50, up 40%, and raised its full-year 2026 adjusted EPS outlook to $5.40 from $5.25 to $5.35. Reported diluted EPS was $(0.62) because of a $1.73 non-cash tax charge tied to the migration of Helly Hansen intellectual property. The company also plans $450 million of share repurchases in the fourth quarter after completing the divestiture of Lee.
Q3 revenue of $685 million rose 3%; adjusted EPS of $1.50 rose 40% from prior year.
Reported diluted EPS was $(0.62), including a $1.73 non-cash tax charge related to Helly Hansen intellectual property migration.
2026 adjusted EPS outlook raised to $5.40 from $5.25 to $5.35; revenue outlook is about $2.68 billion.
Plans $450 million of Q4 share repurchases, including a $400 million accelerated share repurchase, funded partly by $698 million of net proceeds from the Lee sale.
Kontoor Brands' board declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.54 per share, an increase of $0.01 or 2 percent. The dividend is payable December 18, 2026, to shareholders of record at the close of business December 8, 2026.
Quarterly dividend of $0.54 per share, up $0.01 or 2 percent
Kontoor Brands increased its board from seven to nine directors and appointed James T. Caulfield, former PepsiCo CFO, and Michael J. Skipworth, CEO of Wingstop, effective immediately. Both were named to board committees, and the filing does not report any financial results or guidance.
Board size increased from seven to nine directors on September 23, 2026
Caulfield, 67, former PepsiCo EVP and CFO, joins Audit and Nominating & Governance committees
Skipworth, 49, CEO of Wingstop, joins Audit and Talent & Compensation committees
Kontoor Brands said Joseph A. Alkire, currently executive vice president, chief financial officer and global head of operations, will become president and chief financial officer, while CEO Scott H. Baxter will remain chief executive officer and board chairman. The board's talent and compensation committee set Alkire's new pay effective August 12, 2026, which matters to shareholders as a leadership and pay change at the top of the company.
Joseph A. Alkire named President and Chief Financial Officer, effective August 12, 2026
Scott H. Baxter continues as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board
Alkire's pay: $900,000 base salary, bonus target of 120% of base salary, and $2,600,000 long-term incentive award opportunity
Kontoor Brands reported second-quarter 2026 revenue of $584 million, up 19% from a year earlier, and adjusted earnings per share of $1.06, up 13%. The company raised its full-year 2026 adjusted EPS outlook to $5.25 to $5.35 and plans to put $400 million of Lee divestiture proceeds into an accelerated share repurchase after that sale closes in the fourth quarter. For shareholders, the higher outlook and planned buyback point to expected profit growth and capital return, though reported diluted EPS from continuing operations slipped to $1.03 from $1.05.
Revenue of $584 million rose 19%, including $114 million from Helly Hansen; Wrangler revenue rose 2%.
Adjusted EPS of $1.06 rose 13%; reported diluted EPS from continuing operations was $1.03 versus $1.05 a year earlier.
Full-year 2026 adjusted EPS outlook raised to $5.25 to $5.35 from $5.15 to $5.25; revenue outlook unchanged at $2.66 to $2.71 billion.
Planned $400 million accelerated share repurchase, funded by Lee divestiture proceeds, expected after the sale closes in the fourth quarter.
Kontoor Brands declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.53 per share, payable September 18, 2026, to shareholders of record on September 8, 2026. On July 22, 2026, the board also increased its size from six to seven directors and appointed Thomas E. Waldron, a former Kontoor executive, as a director.
Quarterly cash dividend of $0.53 per share, announced July 24, 2026
Dividend payable September 18, 2026; record date September 8, 2026
Thomas E. Waldron appointed director effective July 22, 2026, with a term expiring at the 2027 annual meeting
Waldron previously served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Kontoor
Kontoor Brands said Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer S. Denise Sumner will retire effective August 28, 2026, and will then serve in an advisory role through January 1, 2027. Andrew Taylor, currently the company's Controller of Accounting and Reporting, will become Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer on the same date. The change concerns the company's top accounting role, but the filing reports no financial results or other business changes.
S. Denise Sumner informed the company on June 12, 2026 that she will retire effective August 28, 2026
Sumner will serve in an advisory role through January 1, 2027
Andrew Taylor, 49, has been Controller of Accounting and Reporting since August 2022 and will succeed her effective August 28, 2026
Taylor previously spent 2002 to 2022 at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Kontoor Brands agreed to sell its Lee brand business to Authentic Brands Group for up to $1 billion, including $750 million at closing and a $250 million earnout tied to Lee's future performance. The company says it plans to use proceeds for increased share repurchases under its $750 million authorization and voluntary term loan payments, with closing expected in the second half of 2026 subject to regulatory approvals.
Up to $1 billion total: $750 million initial transaction value plus a $250 million earnout opportunity in future years
Proceeds anticipated for share repurchases under the $750 million authorization and voluntary term loan payments
Closing expected in the second half of 2026, subject to required regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions
Board of Directors unanimously approved the transaction; Morgan Stanley is financial advisor
Kontoor Brands reported first-quarter 2026 results, raised its full-year adjusted EPS outlook to $6.60 to $6.70 including discontinued operations, and said it plans to divest its Lee business. The Board also authorized a new share repurchase program of up to $750 million, replacing the program announced December 11, 2023, which matters to shareholders because it signals a larger capital return alongside a higher earnings outlook.
First-quarter reported EPS was $1.65 including discontinued operations, versus $0.76 a year earlier; continuing operations revenue was $613 million, up 45% including Helly Hansen.
Full-year adjusted EPS outlook including discontinued operations rose to $6.60 to $6.70 from $6.40 to $6.50.
Board authorized up to $750 million in share repurchases with no expiration date; the company expects to fund it from operating cash flow and expected Lee divestiture proceeds.
The company expects to enter a definitive agreement to divest Lee in 2026; Lee revenue is expected to be approximately $750 million.
Kontoor Brands reported fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 results on March 3, 2026, and gave initial 2026 guidance. Fourth-quarter revenue and reported diluted EPS rose from a year earlier, though much of the revenue gain came from the Helly Hansen acquisition, and full-year reported EPS fell to $4.05 from $4.36. The company expects 2026 revenue of $3.40 to $3.45 billion and adjusted EPS of $6.40 to $6.50, and plans $225 million of voluntary term loan payments.
Q4 2025 revenue was $1.02 billion, up 46%; up 2% excluding Helly Hansen and the 53rd week.
Q4 reported diluted EPS was $1.31 versus $1.14 a year earlier; adjusted EPS was $1.73, up 26%.
2026 outlook: revenue of $3.40 to $3.45 billion, adjusted EPS of $6.40 to $6.50, and cash from operations of about $425 million.
Full-year 2025 reported diluted EPS was $4.05 versus $4.36 in 2024; net income fell 7%.
On February 12, 2026, Kontoor Brands' Talent and Compensation Committee adopted an Executive Severance Plan covering eligible employees, including named executive officers, for terminations without Cause or for Good Reason outside a change in control. The plan provides base salary continuation, subsidized COBRA coverage and a pro rated annual bonus, with the length of benefits set by tier. Separately, the board declared a $0.53 per share quarterly dividend, which the filing does not describe as a change from prior payments.
Severance Plan adopted February 12, 2026; full text filed as Exhibit 10.1.
Tier 1 (CEO): 24 months base salary continuation and 18 months COBRA coverage; Tier 2 (EVPs): 18 and 12 months; Tier 3 (SVPs/other): 12 and 9 months.
Quarterly dividend of $0.53 per share payable March 20, 2026, to shareholders of record on March 10, 2026.
Briefs are written by AI from the filing text (each brief's own page names the model) and can contain mistakes — open the filing before acting on anything. Impact (1-5) and tone are the model's reading of the filing for shareholders, not a price forecast. Not investment advice.
Only material 8-Ks get a brief: results, deals, executive changes, restructuring, impairments, delisting notices, restatements, cybersecurity incidents and other disclosed events. Routine filings (vote results, exhibits only) are skipped. Every Kontoor Brands filing is on SEC EDGAR ↗. 8-K briefs of other companies →