SAN FRANCISCO, Oct 26 (Reuters) - VF Corp, home to such apparel brands as the North Face, Vans, Wrangler and Lee, posted earnings that missed Wall Street estimates by a penny on Monday, and shares fell 7 percent.
The manufacturer said net profit in VF's third quarter fell to $217.9 million, or $1.94 per share, from $233.9 million, or $2.10 per share, a year earlier.
Analysts, on average, had been expecting earnings of $1.95 per share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
Higher pension costs and foreign currency exchange rates cut into profit, the company said.
Revenue fell 5 percent to $2.09 billion.
The company said it now believes 2009 earnings per share will range between $4.85 and $5.00, with revenue down about 6 percent.
In July it gave a range of $4.70 to $5.00 per share with revenue expected to fall between 5 percent and 7 percent.
Shares of the company fell to $73 in after-hours trade after closing at $78.49 on the New York Stock Exchange.

(Reporting by Alexandria Sage; Editing by Steve Orlofsky and Carol Bishopric)

((alexandria.sage@thomsonreuters.com, +1-415-677-3923; Reuters Messaging: alexandria.sage.reuters.com@reuters.net)) Keywords: VFCORP/ (See http://blogs.reuters.com/shop-talk/ for Shop Talk -- Reuters' retail and consumer blog.)

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