Contrasting Levi Strauss & Co. (LEVI) and Its Competitors

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) is one of 117 publicly-traded companies in the “Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods” industry, but how does it compare to its rivals? We will compare Levi Strauss & Co. to related businesses based on the strength of its institutional ownership, valuation, dividends, profitability, earnings, risk and analyst recommendations.

Dividends

Levi Strauss & Co. pays an annual dividend of $0.64 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.8%. Levi Strauss & Co. pays out 42.7% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. As a group, “Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods” companies pay a dividend yield of 3.5% and pay out 23.0% of their earnings in the form of a dividend. Levi Strauss & Co. has raised its dividend for 4 consecutive years. Levi Strauss & Co. lags its rivals as a dividend stock, given its lower dividend yield and higher payout ratio.

Volatility and Risk

Levi Strauss & Co. has a beta of 1.32, meaning that its share price is 32% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Levi Strauss & Co.’s rivals have a beta of 0.93, meaning that their average share price is 7% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Levi Strauss & Co. and its rivals revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Net Income	Price/Earnings Ratio
Levi Strauss & Co.	$6.28 billion	$578.10 million	15.38
Levi Strauss & Co. Competitors	$5.66 billion	$471.75 million	24.83

Levi Strauss & Co. has higher revenue and earnings than its rivals. Levi Strauss & Co. is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than its rivals, indicating that it is currently more affordable than other companies in its industry.

Profitability

This table compares Levi Strauss & Co. and its rivals’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Levi Strauss & Co.	8.83%	27.40%	9.31%
Levi Strauss & Co. Competitors	-3.59%	13.60%	2.59%

Institutional & Insider Ownership

69.1% of Levi Strauss & Co. shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 54.4% of shares of all “Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods” companies are owned by institutional investors. 1.1% of Levi Strauss & Co. shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 15.1% of shares of all “Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods” companies are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of recent ratings and recommmendations for Levi Strauss & Co. and its rivals, as reported by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Levi Strauss & Co.	0	3	10	1	2.86
Levi Strauss & Co. Competitors	1649	7636	10048	361	2.46

Levi Strauss & Co. currently has a consensus target price of $26.92, suggesting a potential upside of 16.70%. As a group, “Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods” companies have a potential upside of 14.13%. Given Levi Strauss & Co.’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, research analysts clearly believe Levi Strauss & Co. is more favorable than its rivals.

Summary

Levi Strauss & Co. beats its rivals on 11 of the 15 factors compared.

About Levi Strauss & Co.

Levi Strauss & Co. engages in the design, marketing, and sale of apparel products. The company offers jeans, casual and dress pants, tops, shorts, skirts, jackets, footwear, and related accessories. It operates through the following geographical segments: Americas, Europe, and Asia. The company was founded by Levi Strauss in 1853 and is headquartered in San Francisco, CA.