Short Interest in Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) Increases By 81.6%

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) was the target of a significant growth in short interest in the month of February. As of February 13th, there was short interest totaling 13,397,966 shares, a growth of 81.6% from the January 29th total of 7,377,714 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 3,169,086 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 4.2 days. Approximately 3.5% of the company’s shares are sold short. Approximately 3.5% of the company’s shares are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 3,169,086 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 4.2 days.

Insider Activity at Levi Strauss & Co.

In other Levi Strauss & Co. news, SVP David Jedrzejek sold 2,248 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $19.60, for a total transaction of $44,060.80. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 106,818 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,093,632.80. This trade represents a 2.06% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Jason Gowans sold 40,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.83, for a total value of $873,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 92,199 shares in the company, valued at $2,012,704.17. This represents a 30.26% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 49,341 shares of company stock valued at $1,068,909. 1.25% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Levi Strauss & Co.

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. lifted its position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 123,970.4% in the 2nd quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 3,163,649 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock worth $58,496,000 after acquiring an additional 3,166,203 shares during the period. GW&K Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in the third quarter valued at $39,322,000. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its position in 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 worth $88,014,000 after purchasing an additional 1,296,474 shares during the period. Oberweis Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in Levi Strauss & Co. in the third quarter worth $21,052,000. Finally, Ameriprise Financial Inc. boosted its stake in Levi Strauss & Co. by 83.4% during the second quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 1,958,271 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock worth $36,208,000 after buying an additional 890,752 shares in the last quarter. 69.14% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Levi Strauss & Co. Stock Performance

NYSE LEVI traded down $0.38 during trading on Friday, hitting $22.18. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 1,615,402 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,585,377. Levi Strauss & Co. has a 52 week low of $12.17 and a 52 week high of $24.82. The firm has a market cap of $8.66 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 1.33. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $21.33 and a 200 day moving average price of $21.64. The company has a quick ratio of 0.94, a current ratio of 1.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46.

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 28th. The blue-jean maker reported $0.41 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.39 by $0.02. Levi Strauss & Co. had a return on equity of 25.08% and a net margin of 9.20%.The company had revenue of $1.77 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.71 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.50 earnings per share. Levi Strauss & Co.’s revenue for the quarter was up .9% compared to the same quarter last year. Levi Strauss & Co. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.400-1.460 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Levi Strauss & Co. will post 1.27 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Levi Strauss & Co. Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 25th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 10th were paid a $0.14 dividend. This represents a $0.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 10th. Levi Strauss & Co.’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 38.36%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently commented on LEVI shares. Weiss Ratings upgraded Levi Strauss & Co. from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Tuesday. Raymond James Financial assumed coverage on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research note on Tuesday, December 23rd. They set an “outperform” rating and a $26.00 price target on the stock. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, January 31st. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $25.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group restated an “outperform” rating and set a $27.00 target price on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Levi Strauss & Co. presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $26.69.

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.