Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) EVP Harmit Singh Sells 110,000 Shares

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) EVP Harmit Singh sold 110,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, April 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $23.00, for a total transaction of $2,530,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 270,514 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,221,822. This represents a 28.91% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website.

Levi Strauss & Co. Stock Down 2.4%

LEVI stock opened at $22.79 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a current ratio of 1.58 and a quick ratio of 0.97. Levi Strauss & Co. has a 52-week low of $15.32 and a 52-week high of $24.82. The company has a 50-day moving average of $20.52 and a two-hundred day moving average of $21.03. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.52, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.77 and a beta of 1.34.

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

Levi Strauss & Co. Dividend Announcement

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

LEVI has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Needham & Company LLC restated a “buy” rating and set a $28.00 price target on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Telsey Advisory Group restated an “outperform” rating and set a $27.00 price target on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a report on Wednesday, April 1st. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from $33.00 to $34.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating and set a $27.00 price target on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. They set a “buy” rating and a $25.00 price target for the company. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $26.77.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. during the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. US Bancorp DE raised its position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 260.5% during the third quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 1,121 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 810 shares during the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 140.7% during the second quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 1,425 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 833 shares during the last quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. during the fourth quarter valued at about $39,000. Finally, MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 133.5% during 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 buying an additional 1,879 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 69.14% of the company’s stock.

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.