Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) Major Shareholder Sells $54,718.79 in Stock

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) major shareholder Margaret Haas sold 2,279 shares of Levi Strauss & Co. stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $24.01, for a total value of $54,718.79. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Major shareholders that own 10% or more of a company’s shares are required to disclose their sales and purchases with the SEC.

Levi Strauss & Co. Stock Down 2.0%

Shares of NYSE LEVI opened at $23.24 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $8.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.75 and a beta of 1.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a current ratio of 1.58 and a quick ratio of 0.97. The business has a 50-day moving average of $21.28 and a two-hundred day moving average of $21.17. Levi Strauss & Co. has a 1 year low of $16.50 and a 1 year high of $24.82.

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

Levi Strauss & Co. Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, May 6th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 22nd were given a dividend of $0.14 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, April 22nd. This represents a $0.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.4%. Levi Strauss & Co.’s payout ratio is 35.67%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have recently commented on LEVI. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $28.00 target price on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research report on Wednesday. Wall Street Zen upgraded Levi Strauss & Co. from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, April 11th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Levi Strauss & Co. from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Telsey Advisory Group restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $27.00 price target on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research report on Wednesday, April 1st. Finally, Needham & Company LLC restated a “buy” rating and issued a $28.00 price target on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $26.79.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Levi Strauss & Co.

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in Levi Strauss & Co. by 3.8% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 9,320,747 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock valued at $193,312,000 after acquiring an additional 342,009 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its position in Levi Strauss & Co. by 462.4% in the 1st quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 4,839,861 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock valued at $89,489,000 after acquiring an additional 3,979,223 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its position in Levi Strauss & Co. by 44.0% in the 4th quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 4,243,680 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock valued at $88,014,000 after acquiring an additional 1,296,474 shares during the period. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. increased its position in Levi Strauss & Co. by 9.3% in the 3rd quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 3,457,702 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock valued at $80,564,000 after acquiring an additional 294,053 shares during the period. Finally, GW&K Investment Management LLC increased its position in Levi Strauss & Co. by 31.5% in the 4th quarter. GW&K Investment Management LLC now owns 2,219,599 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock valued at $46,034,000 after acquiring an additional 531,963 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 69.14% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Levi Strauss & Co.

Here are the key news stories impacting Levi Strauss & Co. this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts continue to rate Levi Strauss as a “Moderate Buy”, suggesting Wall Street still sees upside potential, with a consensus target price above the current share price. Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) Given Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts
• Positive Sentiment: Recent commentary highlighted Levi Strauss’ direct-to-consumer growth as a key driver of revenue expansion, reinforcing the company’s fundamental momentum. Levi Strauss Gains as DTC Continues to Fuel Revenue Growth
• Neutral Sentiment: Levi Strauss recently reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with earnings and revenue both topping estimates, which continues to support the stock’s longer-term valuation.
• Negative Sentiment: Major shareholder Robert D. Haas sold 192,451 shares in a pre-arranged transaction, a sizable insider sale that can dampen investor sentiment. SEC filing for Robert D. Haas sale
• Negative Sentiment: Additional insider selling by Peter Haas Jr. Family Fund and Margaret E. Haas added to concerns about insider confidence, even though the trades were made under 10b5-1 plans. SEC filing for Peter Haas Jr. Family Fund sale SEC filing for Margaret E. Haas sale

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.