Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) Receives Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) has been given a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the sixteen research firms that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and thirteen have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $26.7857.

Several research firms have commented on LEVI. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $27.00 price objective on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research note on Wednesday, April 1st. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $28.00 price objective on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. UBS Group lifted their price objective 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. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $25.00 price objective on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Finally, BTIG Research reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $27.00 price objective on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th.

Levi Strauss & Co. Stock Down 1.1%

NYSE LEVI opened at $22.61 on Thursday. 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 company has a fifty day moving average of $21.56 and a two-hundred day moving average of $21.20. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.40, a PEG ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 1.34. Levi Strauss & Co. has a 52 week low of $16.50 and a 52 week high of $24.82.

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

Levi Strauss & Co. Dividend Announcement

The firm 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. This represents a $0.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, April 22nd. Levi Strauss & Co.’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 35.67%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Levi Strauss & Co.

In other news, EVP Harmit J. Singh sold 121,767 shares of Levi Strauss & Co. stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $23.52, for a total transaction of $2,863,959.84. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 148,757 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,498,764.64. This trade represents a 45.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Karyn Hillman sold 38,938 shares of Levi Strauss & Co. stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $22.91, for a total value of $892,069.58. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 91,522 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,096,769.02. This trade represents a 29.85% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 783,154 shares of company stock valued at $17,630,460. 1.08% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Levi Strauss & Co.

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. US Bancorp DE lifted its position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 260.5% during the third quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 1,121 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 810 shares during the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its holdings in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 140.7% in the second quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 1,425 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 833 shares in the last quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC bought a new stake in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in the fourth quarter valued at about $39,000. Finally, MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its holdings 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 valued at $51,000 after acquiring an additional 1,879 shares in the last quarter. 69.14% of the stock is currently owned by 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.