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

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) has earned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the fifteen ratings firms that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and eleven have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $26.4615.

Several brokerages have commented on LEVI. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Monday. Telsey Advisory Group restated an “outperform” rating and set a $27.00 target price on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Raymond James Financial initiated coverage on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a report on Tuesday, December 23rd. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $26.00 price target on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Levi Strauss & Co. from $23.00 to $33.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, October 10th. Finally, BTIG Research started coverage on Levi Strauss & Co. in a report on Tuesday, October 14th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $27.00 price objective for the company.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Levi Strauss & Co.

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. lifted its stake 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 valued at $58,496,000 after purchasing an additional 3,166,203 shares during the period. GW&K Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in Levi Strauss & Co. in the third quarter valued at $39,322,000. Oberweis Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in the third quarter worth about $21,052,000. Ameriprise Financial Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 83.4% during the 2nd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 1,958,271 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock worth $36,208,000 after acquiring an additional 890,752 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hook Mill Capital Partners LP purchased a new stake in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. during the 2nd quarter worth about $14,103,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 69.14% of the company’s stock.

Levi Strauss & Co. Trading Up 0.2%

Levi Strauss & Co. stock opened at $21.28 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $21.47 and a 200 day moving average price of $21.51. The company has a market capitalization of $8.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 1.33. Levi Strauss & Co. has a 52 week low of $12.17 and a 52 week high of $24.82. The company has a quick ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 1.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48.

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.