Levi Strauss & Co. Target of Unusually High Options Trading (NYSE:LEVI)

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) was the recipient of some unusual options trading activity on Thursday. Stock traders purchased 5,843 call options on the company. This is an increase of approximately 100% compared to the typical daily volume of 2,927 call options.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently weighed in on LEVI shares. Telsey Advisory Group upped their price target on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from $27.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 2nd. BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $27.00 price objective on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a report on Thursday. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $28.00 price objective on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Levi Strauss & Co. from $30.00 to $32.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, July 2nd. Finally, Raymond James Financial raised their target price on Levi Strauss & Co. from $25.00 to $27.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 2nd. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Levi Strauss & Co. currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $27.21.

More Levi Strauss & Co. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Levi Strauss topped Q2 expectations with EPS of $0.28 versus $0.24 expected and revenue of $1.56 billion versus $1.52 billion expected, showing 8% year-over-year sales growth. Levi Strauss & Co. Reports Second-Quarter Results
• Positive Sentiment: The company raised full-year guidance again and lifted its quarterly dividend to $0.16 per share, signaling confidence in cash generation and business momentum. Levi Strauss Raises Guidance Again
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst commentary remained supportive, with BTIG and Needham both reaffirming Buy ratings and targeting upside from current levels. Benzinga report on BTIG and Needham ratings
• Neutral Sentiment: Levi Strauss continues to shift toward a direct-to-consumer, broader apparel model, including store and distribution changes, which may improve margins over time but adds near-term execution questions. Levi Strauss & Co raises outlook as Q2 results surpass forecasts
• Negative Sentiment: Investors appear disappointed that the company’s forward earnings outlook was more conservative than hoped, even after the Q2 beat, which is pressuring the shares. Levi’s stock falls 5% despite Q2 beat as full-year earnings guidance disappoints
• Negative Sentiment: Management also flagged tariff headwinds, keeping investors cautious about profit margins and the pace of earnings growth. Wall Street Breakfast Podcast: Levi’s Frayed Forecast

Insider Activity at Levi Strauss & Co.

In related news, major shareholder Margaret E. Haas sold 47,721 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $24.01, for a total value of $1,145,781.21. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, major shareholder Robert D. Haas sold 488,851 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $24.11, for a total transaction of $11,786,197.61. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 1,468,570 shares of company stock valued at $34,136,152. 1.08% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of LEVI. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Levi Strauss & Co. by 3.8% during 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 stake in Levi Strauss & Co. by 462.4% during the first quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 4,839,861 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock worth $89,489,000 after purchasing an additional 3,979,223 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 44.0% in the fourth quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 4,243,680 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock valued at $88,014,000 after purchasing an additional 1,296,474 shares during the period. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. grew its holdings in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 9.3% in the third 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 purchasing an additional 294,053 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Eastern Bank acquired a new position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in the second quarter valued at approximately $60,854,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 69.14% of the company’s stock.

Levi Strauss & Co. Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:LEVI traded up $0.39 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $24.76. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 3,224,046 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,708,986. The company has a market cap of $9.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 1.33. Levi Strauss & Co. has a 12-month low of $17.72 and a 12-month high of $25.58. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $23.05 and its 200 day simple moving average is $21.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a current ratio of 1.58.

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 8th. The blue-jean maker reported $0.28 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.24 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $1.56 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.52 billion. Levi Strauss & Co. had a return on equity of 25.35% and a net margin of 9.52%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.22 earnings per share. Levi Strauss & Co. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.460-1.520 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Levi Strauss & Co. will post 1.51 EPS for the current year.

Levi Strauss & Co. Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 22nd will be issued a dividend of $0.16 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 22nd. This represents a $0.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. This is a boost from Levi Strauss & Co.’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.14. Levi Strauss & Co.’s payout ratio is presently 35.67%.

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.