Citigroup Cuts Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) Price Target to $22.00

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) had its price target trimmed by Citigroup from $25.00 to $22.00 in a report published on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a neutral rating on the blue-jean maker’s stock.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research note on Wednesday, September 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company restated an “equal weight” rating and set a $25.00 price objective on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from $33.00 to $34.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Sunday, September 20th. Finally, Raymond James Financial boosted their target price on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from $25.00 to $27.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 2nd. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $27.25.

Levi Strauss & Co. Stock Performance

Shares of LEVI stock opened at $19.86 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $7.64 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.26, a P/E/G ratio of 1.31 and a beta of 1.32. The business’s 50 day moving average is $21.61 and its two-hundred day moving average is $22.08. The company has a current ratio of 1.60, a quick ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46. Levi Strauss & Co. has a 12-month low of $17.72 and a 12-month high of $25.70.

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 8th. The blue-jean maker reported $0.28 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.24 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $1.56 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.52 billion. Levi Strauss & Co. had a return on equity of 25.79% and a net margin of 9.66%.The business’s revenue was up 8.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.22 earnings per share. Levi Strauss & Co. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.460-1.520 EPS. Analysts expect 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 paid a $0.16 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, July 22nd. This represents a $0.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.2%. This is an increase from Levi Strauss & Co.’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.14. Levi Strauss & Co.’s dividend payout ratio is currently 39.51%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Levi Strauss & Co. news, EVP Harmit Singh sold 98,144 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $24.22, for a total value of $2,377,047.68. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 98,747 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,391,652.34. This trade represents a 49.85% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders own 1.08% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Levi Strauss & Co.

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Nykredit A S acquired a new position in Levi Strauss & Co. during the second quarter worth about $36,000. Essential Partners LLC grew its stake in Levi Strauss & Co. by 42.1% during the 2nd quarter. Essential Partners LLC now owns 1,795 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock valued at $45,000 after acquiring an additional 532 shares in the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd raised its holdings in Levi Strauss & Co. by 417,900.0% in the 4th quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 4,180 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock valued at $87,000 after acquiring an additional 4,179 shares during the last quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC acquired a new stake in Levi Strauss & Co. in the 2nd quarter valued at about $127,000. Finally, Vise Technologies Inc. acquired a new stake in Levi Strauss & Co. in the 2nd quarter valued at about $205,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 69.14% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Levi Strauss & Co.

Here are the key news stories impacting Levi Strauss & Co. this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Healthy denim demand may support the third quarter. Jefferies expects a solid quarter and said full-year profit guidance could move modestly higher, although revenue guidance may be reiterated because of persistent inflation. Jefferies expects a solid third quarter for Levi Strauss
• Positive Sentiment: BTIG reaffirmed its “Buy” rating. The bullish stance provides some support ahead of the earnings release, while Needham reportedly viewed Levi’s incoming finance chief favorably. BTIG reaffirms Buy rating
• Positive Sentiment: Levi is strengthening its finance organization. Skechers CFO John Vandemore is scheduled to become Levi’s CFO and executive vice president on November 1, potentially bringing additional operating and financial-management expertise. Skechers CFO joins Levi’s
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are focused on the upcoming third-quarter report. Wall Street forecasts and key operating metrics for the quarter ended August 2026 will shape expectations for revenue, margins and the company’s full-year outlook. Levi Strauss third-quarter earnings forecasts
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts are trimming valuation expectations ahead of earnings. Citigroup lowered its expectations for LEVI’s stock price, while other reports cited reduced price targets. The cuts signal concern about inflation, the revenue outlook or limited upside despite continued denim demand. Citigroup lowers expectations for Levi Strauss
• Negative Sentiment: The CFO transition creates near-term uncertainty. Levi is replacing its finance chief while also making broader strategic adjustments; reports that former creative executive Derek Lam is returning add to the perception of an ongoing management and strategy reshuffle. Levi’s management changes

About Levi Strauss & Co.

Levi Strauss & Co is an apparel company best known for its Levi’s brand of denim jeans and related clothing. Its product portfolio includes jeans, tops, bottoms, jackets, footwear, accessories and other casualwear for men, women and children.

Founded in 1853 and headquartered in San Francisco, California, the company also owns the Dockers, Beyond Yoga and Signature by Levi Strauss & Co brands. Levi Strauss & Co sells its products through company-operated stores, e-commerce platforms, wholesale partners and other distribution channels.

The company serves customers in North America, Europe, Asia and other international markets.