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

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) has earned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the sixteen ratings firms that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and twelve have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12 month price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $27.4286.

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Sunday. Barclays increased their target price on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from $26.00 to $27.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Wells Fargo & Company reissued an “equal weight” rating and issued a $25.00 price target on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, UBS Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $34.00 price objective on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research note on Thursday, July 9th.

Levi Strauss & Co. Stock Performance

NYSE LEVI opened at $22.55 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46, a current ratio of 1.60 and a quick ratio of 0.98. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $24.08 and its 200-day simple moving average is $22.16. The company has a market cap of $8.68 billion, a PE ratio of 13.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.49 and a beta of 1.33. Levi Strauss & Co. has a 1-year low of $17.72 and a 1-year high of $25.70.

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, topping the consensus estimate of $0.24 by $0.04. Levi Strauss & Co. had a return on equity of 25.79% and a net margin of 9.66%.The firm had revenue of $1.56 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.52 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.22 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.0% on a year-over-year basis. Levi Strauss & Co. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.460-1.520 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Levi Strauss & Co. will post 1.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Levi Strauss & Co. Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 22nd were issued a $0.16 dividend. This is an increase from Levi Strauss & Co.’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.14. This represents a $0.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, July 22nd. Levi Strauss & Co.’s payout ratio is currently 39.51%.

Insider Activity

In other news, major shareholder E. Haas Jr. Family Fund Peter sold 145,662 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $24.01, for a total value of $3,497,344.62. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 145,662 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,497,344.62. This represents a 50.00% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Harmit J. Singh sold 98,144 shares of Levi Strauss & Co. stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 98,747 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,391,652.34. The trade was a 49.85% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 1,196,009 shares of company stock valued at $28,114,170 in the last ninety days. 1.08% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 1,296,474 shares during the last quarter. Jupiter Asset Management Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. during the 4th quarter worth about $1,449,000. Hsbc Holdings PLC purchased a new stake in Levi Strauss & Co. in the 4th quarter valued at about $1,887,000. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings 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 buying an additional 342,009 shares during the period. Finally, GW&K Investment Management LLC lifted its position in Levi Strauss & Co. by 31.5% in the fourth 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 buying an additional 531,963 shares during the last quarter. 69.14% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.