Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) EVP Sells $2,377,047.68 in Stock

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) EVP Harmit Singh sold 98,144 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $24.22, for a total transaction of $2,377,047.68. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 98,747 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,391,652.34. This represents a 49.85% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Levi Strauss & Co. Trading Down 1.4%

Shares of LEVI traded down $0.37 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $25.16. 1,150,146 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,736,874. Levi Strauss & Co. has a fifty-two week low of $17.72 and a fifty-two week high of $25.70. The business has a 50-day moving average of $23.68 and a 200-day moving average of $21.91. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 1.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46, a current ratio of 1.60 and a quick ratio of 0.98.

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 8th. The blue-jean maker reported $0.28 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.24 by $0.04. Levi Strauss & Co. had a net margin of 9.66% and a return on equity of 25.79%. The business had revenue of $1.56 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.52 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.22 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 8.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Levi Strauss & Co. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.460-1.520 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Levi Strauss & Co. will post 1.54 EPS for the current year.

Levi Strauss & Co. Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 22nd will be given a dividend of $0.16 per share. This represents a $0.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 22nd. This is a positive change from Levi Strauss & Co.’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.14. Levi Strauss & Co.’s dividend payout ratio is currently 39.51%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have weighed in on LEVI. Weiss Ratings upgraded Levi Strauss & Co. from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating and set a $28.00 price target on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $28.00 price objective on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Raymond James Financial lifted their price objective on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from $25.00 to $27.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 2nd. Finally, Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from $26.00 to $27.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, July 10th. Twelve research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Levi Strauss & Co. presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $27.29.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Levi Strauss & Co.

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. during the second quarter valued at approximately $233,000. Eastern Bank purchased a new position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in the 2nd quarter worth about $60,854,000. Amundi increased its holdings in Levi Strauss & Co. by 73.3% during the first quarter. Amundi now owns 18,828 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock worth $348,000 after buying an additional 7,963 shares during the last quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System raised its position in Levi Strauss & Co. by 25.6% in the first quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 107,325 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock worth $1,984,000 after acquiring an additional 21,853 shares during the period. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised its position in Levi Strauss & Co. by 117.2% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 358,797 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock worth $6,635,000 after acquiring an additional 193,607 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 69.14% of the company’s stock.

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.