Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) Shares Gap Down on Insider Selling

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI)’s share price gapped down prior to trading on Thursday following insider selling activity. The stock had previously closed at $20.47, but opened at $19.16. Levi Strauss & Co. shares last traded at $19.68, with a volume of 1,574,800 shares traded.

Specifically, SVP David Jedrzejek sold 7,093 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.38, for a total transaction of $151,648.34. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 98,193 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,099,366.34. This represents a 6.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

LEVI has been the topic of a number of research reports. Needham & Company LLC restated a “buy” rating and set a $28.00 price target on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research note on Thursday. Raymond James Financial initiated coverage on Levi Strauss & Co. in a research note on Tuesday, December 23rd. They set an “outperform” rating and a $26.00 target price on the stock. Weiss Ratings raised Levi Strauss & Co. from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Monday. UBS Group increased their price target on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from $32.00 to $33.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from $23.00 to $33.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, October 10th. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $26.46.

Trending Headlines about Levi Strauss & Co.

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat — Adjusted EPS $0.41 vs $0.39 expected and revenue $1.77B vs $1.71B, driven by denim and DTC strength; this confirms near‑term demand resilience. Proactive: Levi Strauss tops quarterly estimates
• Positive Sentiment: DTC/strategy momentum — CEO called the business at a “true inflection,” emphasizing DTC-first, brand elevation and marketing (including a planned Super Bowl ad) that support longer‑term margin expansion and revenue mix improvement. MSN: CEO sees ‘true inflection’
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support — Multiple firms (TD Cowen, Needham, BTIG) reiterated Buy ratings and raised/maintained targets (~$26–$28), indicating analyst conviction in execution and upside from current levels. TipRanks: Analyst note
• Positive Sentiment: Shareholder returns — Company declared a quarterly dividend ($0.14/share, ~2.7% yield annualized), reinforcing capital return policy and supporting valuation floor for income‑seeking investors.
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor‑day/earnings call color — Transcripts provide detail on product mix (denim, yoga), pricing actions and marketing spend (useful for thesis but less likely to move price immediately). Seeking Alpha: Earnings call transcript
• Negative Sentiment: FY2026 guidance short of consensus — Company set FY26 EPS at $1.40–$1.46 vs ~$1.48 consensus, prompting near‑term selling despite the quarter beat. Investing.com: Beat but weak outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Margin pressures — Tariff cost impacts and a softer wholesale channel were cited as headwinds to near‑term margins, limiting upside to profit despite revenue growth. Proactive: Tariff, wholesale headwinds
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling — SVP David Jedrzejek sold ~7,093 shares (~6.7% reduction of his holding), a modest negative signal for some investors. SEC Form 4: Jedrzejek sale

Levi Strauss & Co. Stock Down 3.5%

The firm has a market cap of $7.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.57, a PEG ratio of 1.41 and a beta of 1.33. The company has a quick ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 1.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $21.47 and a 200-day moving average price of $21.49.

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The blue-jean maker reported $0.41 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.39 by $0.02. Levi Strauss & Co. had a return on equity of 25.08% and a net margin of 9.20%.The firm had revenue of $1.77 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.71 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.50 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up .9% compared to the same quarter last year. Levi Strauss & Co. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.400-1.460 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Levi Strauss & Co. will post 1.27 EPS for the current year.

Levi Strauss & Co. Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, February 25th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 10th will be issued a dividend of $0.14 per share. This represents a $0.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 10th. Levi Strauss & Co.’s dividend payout ratio is presently 38.36%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Keybank National Association OH grew its position in Levi Strauss & Co. by 13.6% during the fourth quarter. Keybank National Association OH now owns 114,577 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock valued at $2,376,000 after acquiring an additional 13,737 shares during the period. Comerica Bank increased its position in Levi Strauss & Co. by 39.8% during the 4th quarter. Comerica Bank now owns 9,514 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock worth $197,000 after purchasing an additional 2,707 shares in the last quarter. UBS Group AG raised its holdings in Levi Strauss & Co. by 24.6% in the fourth quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 1,566,880 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock valued at $32,497,000 after buying an additional 309,546 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in Levi Strauss & Co. by 3.8% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 9,320,747 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock valued at $193,312,000 after buying an additional 342,009 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Broad Peak Investment Advisers Pte Ltd lifted its position in Levi Strauss & Co. by 66.5% during the fourth quarter. Broad Peak Investment Advisers Pte Ltd now owns 445,300 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock valued at $9,236,000 after buying an additional 177,800 shares in the last quarter. 69.14% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.