Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) Major Shareholder Margaret Haas Sells 47,721 Shares

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) major shareholder Margaret Haas sold 47,721 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $24.01, for a total transaction of $1,145,781.21. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Large shareholders that own 10% or more of a company’s shares are required to disclose their sales and purchases with the SEC.

Levi Strauss & Co. Stock Down 0.9%

LEVI stock opened at $24.02 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.30, a P/E/G ratio of 1.83 and a beta of 1.34. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $22.23 and a 200-day simple moving average of $21.33. The company has a quick ratio of 0.97, a current ratio of 1.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. Levi Strauss & Co. has a 52 week low of $16.50 and a 52 week high of $24.82.

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, April 7th. The blue-jean maker reported $0.42 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.37 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $1.74 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.65 billion. Levi Strauss & Co. had a net margin of 9.52% and a return on equity of 25.35%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 14.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.38 earnings per share. Equities analysts forecast that Levi Strauss & Co. will post 1.5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Levi Strauss & Co. Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, May 6th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 22nd were given a dividend of $0.14 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, April 22nd. This represents a $0.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.3%. Levi Strauss & Co.’s payout ratio is presently 35.67%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Levi Strauss & Co.

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. US Bancorp DE raised its stake in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 260.5% in the 3rd quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 1,121 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 810 shares during the period. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC purchased a new stake in Levi Strauss & Co. during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its stake in Levi Strauss & Co. by 140.7% during the 2nd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 1,425 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 833 shares during the period. Kestra Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in Levi Strauss & Co. during the 4th quarter worth approximately $39,000. Finally, MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its stake in Levi Strauss & Co. by 133.5% during the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 3,286 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock worth $51,000 after buying an additional 1,879 shares during the period. 69.14% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Telsey Advisory Group restated an “outperform” rating and set a $27.00 price target on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research report on Wednesday, April 1st. BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating and set a $27.00 price target on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from $33.00 to $34.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, April 11th. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Levi Strauss & Co. has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $26.79.

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.