Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) EVP Sells $2,863,959.84 in Stock

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) EVP Harmit Singh sold 121,767 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $23.52, for a total transaction of $2,863,959.84. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 148,757 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,498,764.64. The trade was a 45.01% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website.

Levi Strauss & Co. Stock Down 2.4%

Levi Strauss & Co. stock traded down $0.57 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $22.79. The stock had a trading volume of 2,241,655 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,677,836. Levi Strauss & Co. has a 52-week low of $15.32 and a 52-week high of $24.82. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $20.51 and a 200 day moving average price of $21.02. The company has a quick ratio of 0.97, a current ratio of 1.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. The stock has a market cap of $8.76 billion, a PE ratio of 14.52, a P/E/G ratio of 1.75 and a beta of 1.34.

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 7th. The blue-jean maker reported $0.42 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.37 by $0.05. Levi Strauss & Co. had a net margin of 9.52% and a return on equity of 25.35%. The company had revenue of $1.74 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.65 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.38 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 14.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts predict that Levi Strauss & Co. will post 1.5 EPS for the current year.

Levi Strauss & Co. Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 6th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 22nd will be paid a $0.14 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 22nd. This represents a $0.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.5%. Levi Strauss & Co.’s payout ratio is currently 35.67%.

Institutional Trading of Levi Strauss & Co.

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA raised its holdings in Levi Strauss & Co. by 18.9% during the first quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 15,084 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock worth $279,000 after purchasing an additional 2,402 shares in the last quarter. Xcel Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in Levi Strauss & Co. by 7.1% during the first quarter. Xcel Wealth Management LLC now owns 141,654 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock worth $2,619,000 after purchasing an additional 9,434 shares in the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC raised its holdings in Levi Strauss & Co. by 91.1% during the first quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 33,351 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock worth $617,000 after purchasing an additional 15,901 shares in the last quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC acquired a new stake in Levi Strauss & Co. during the fourth quarter worth approximately $1,887,000. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd raised its holdings in Levi Strauss & Co. by 417,900.0% during the fourth quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 4,180 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock worth $87,000 after purchasing an additional 4,179 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 69.14% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

LEVI has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $25.00 price target for the company. UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from $33.00 to $34.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $27.00 price target on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. 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, April 1st. Finally, Raymond James Financial assumed coverage on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research note on Tuesday, December 23rd. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $26.00 price target for the company. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $26.77.

Levi Strauss & Co. Company Profile

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.