Insider Selling: Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) EVP Sells 40,000 Shares of Stock

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) EVP Jason Gowans sold 40,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.83, for a total value of $873,200.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 92,199 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,012,704.17. This represents a 30.26% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

Levi Strauss & Co. Trading Up 0.7%

NYSE:LEVI traded up $0.16 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $21.92. The company had a trading volume of 2,323,381 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,546,330. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46, a current ratio of 1.55 and a quick ratio of 0.94. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $21.26 and a 200 day moving average price of $21.48. The company has a market capitalization of $8.56 billion, a PE ratio of 15.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.75 and a beta of 1.33. Levi Strauss & Co. has a 52 week low of $12.17 and a 52 week high of $24.82.

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 28th. The blue-jean maker reported $0.41 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.39 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $1.77 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.71 billion. Levi Strauss & Co. had a net margin of 9.20% and a return on equity of 25.08%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up .9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.50 EPS. Levi Strauss & Co. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.400-1.460 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Levi Strauss & Co. will post 1.27 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Levi Strauss & Co. Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, February 25th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 10th will be given a dividend of $0.14 per share. This represents a $0.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 10th. Levi Strauss & Co.’s payout ratio is presently 38.36%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have recently commented on LEVI shares. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on Levi Strauss & Co. in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $25.00 target price for the company. Raymond James Financial initiated coverage on Levi Strauss & Co. in a research report on Tuesday, December 23rd. They set an “outperform” rating and a $26.00 price objective for the company. Wall Street Zen cut Levi Strauss & Co. from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, January 31st. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $27.00 price target on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, UBS Group raised their price objective on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from $32.00 to $33.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $26.69.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Levi Strauss & Co.

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its position in Levi Strauss & Co. by 181.6% in the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 151,645 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock worth $2,364,000 after buying an additional 97,800 shares during the last quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. during the 1st quarter valued at about $224,000. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its stake in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 133.5% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 3,286 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock worth $51,000 after acquiring an additional 1,879 shares during the period. Caxton Associates LLP purchased a new position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. during the first quarter valued at approximately $241,000. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its holdings in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 3.4% during the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 1,597,687 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock valued at $24,908,000 after purchasing an additional 52,332 shares during the last quarter. 69.14% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Levi Strauss & Co.

Levi Strauss & Co is a global apparel company best known for its denim jeans and casual wear. Founded in 1853 in San Francisco by Bavarian immigrant Levi Strauss, the company pioneered the modern blue jean with the introduction of rivet-reinforced work pants. Over its more than 160-year history, Levi Strauss has evolved into a lifestyle brand, offering a broad portfolio that includes denim for men, women and children, as well as tops, outerwear, footwear and accessories.

The company’s flagship label, Levi’s®, is recognized worldwide for its iconic styles such as the 501® Original Fit Jeans, while additional brands, including Dockers®, Target core metric, and Denizen® by Levi’s, cater to diverse price points and consumer segments.