7 Consumer Durables and Apparel Stocks Near 52-Week Highs

I love bargain stocks, especially when they're hitting 52-week lows. Still, it can be instructive to also look at stocks that are riding high.

For one thing, they can make good sell candidates. More optimistically, we may be able to find a few companies that can continue their upward climbs.

In this series, I'll be searching industry-by-industry for stocks reaching 52-week highs. That way, we'll be able to make a few quick comparisons among semi-related companies.

There are 24 industry groups as defined by the Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS). Consumer durables and apparel is one of them. In other words, companies that make long-lasting stuff you buy.

Below are the top seven companies in this space (by market cap) that are within spitting distance of their 52-week highs.

Source: Capital IQ, a division of Standard & Poor's. Data as of Oct. 25.

Despite talk of consumers tightening belts, these stocks are riding high with rich-ish multiples. Of course, as my colleague Morgan Housel put it recently: "Real consumer spending just hit an all-time high. You would never guess this by reading the headlines. But look at the numbers. It's the truth."

Many of these companies make the kind of brand-name stuff that isn't going away anytime soon. As an aside (and piece of supporting evidence), I just learned Nike has a 95% market share in basketball shoes. Niche, sure. But 95%!

V.F., the company eclectic enough to make North Face, 7 For All Mankind, and Wrangler jeans, has been on my watchlist for a while. I patiently wait for lower prices.  

For a list of the consumer durables stocks near 52-week lows, click here.

If you are interested in reading more about these stocks, add them to My Watchlist to find all of our Foolish analysis on them.