Levi Strauss & Co. (LEVI) To Go Ex-Dividend on April 22nd

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) announced a quarterly dividend on Tuesday, April 7th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 22nd will be paid a dividend of 0.14 per share by the blue-jean maker on Wednesday, May 6th. This represents a c) annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 22nd.

Levi Strauss & Co. has increased its dividend payment by an average of 0.3%per year over the last three years and has raised its dividend annually for the last 4 consecutive years. Levi Strauss & Co. has a dividend payout ratio of 41.2% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities analysts expect Levi Strauss & Co. to earn $1.39 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $0.56 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 40.3%.

Levi Strauss & Co. Stock Up 10.7%

Shares of LEVI opened at $21.83 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a current ratio of 1.55. Levi Strauss & Co. has a one year low of $12.17 and a one year high of $24.82. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.95, a PEG ratio of 1.50 and a beta of 1.34. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $20.09 and a 200 day moving average price of $21.09.

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 7th. The blue-jean maker reported $0.42 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.37 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $1.74 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.65 billion. Levi Strauss & Co. had a return on equity of 25.08% and a net margin of 9.20%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 14.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.38 earnings per share. Equities research analysts forecast that Levi Strauss & Co. will post 1.27 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms recently weighed in on LEVI. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. They set a “buy” rating and a $25.00 price target on the stock. Raymond James Financial began coverage on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research report on Tuesday, December 23rd. They set an “outperform” rating and a $26.00 price target on the stock. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, January 31st. UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from $33.00 to $34.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating and issued a $27.00 target price on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a report on Wednesday. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $26.77.

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.