Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) EVP Sells $2,863,959.84 in Stock

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) EVP Harmit Singh sold 121,767 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $23.52, for a total value of $2,863,959.84. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 148,757 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,498,764.64. The trade was a 45.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

Levi Strauss & Co. Trading Down 2.4%

Levi Strauss & Co. stock traded down $0.57 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $22.79. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 2,241,655 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,677,836. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.76 billion, a PE ratio of 14.52, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.75 and a beta of 1.34. Levi Strauss & Co. has a 1 year low of $15.32 and a 1 year high of $24.82. The company has a current ratio of 1.58, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $20.51 and its two-hundred day moving average is $21.02.

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 7th. The blue-jean maker reported $0.42 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.37 by $0.05. Levi Strauss & Co. had a return on equity of 25.35% and a net margin of 9.52%.The company had revenue of $1.74 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.65 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.38 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 14.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts anticipate that Levi Strauss & Co. will post 1.5 EPS for the current year.

Levi Strauss & Co. Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 6th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 22nd will be given a dividend of $0.14 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 22nd. This represents a $0.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.5%. Levi Strauss & Co.’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 35.67%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in LEVI. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 181.6% in the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 151,645 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock valued at $2,364,000 after purchasing an additional 97,800 shares during the period. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in the first quarter valued at approximately $224,000. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 133.5% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 3,286 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock valued at $51,000 after purchasing an additional 1,879 shares during the period. Caxton Associates LLP purchased a new position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in the first quarter valued at approximately $241,000. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC boosted its stake in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 3.4% in the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 1,597,687 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock valued at $24,908,000 after purchasing an additional 52,332 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 69.14% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on LEVI shares. Jefferies Financial Group started 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 for the company. Raymond James Financial started 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 for the company. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $28.00 price target on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from $33.00 to $34.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Levi Strauss & Co. presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target 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.