Short Interest in Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) Drops By 27.9%

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) was the recipient of a significant drop in short interest in January. As of January 30th, there was short interest totaling 7,377,714 shares, a drop of 27.9% from the January 15th total of 10,235,181 shares. Currently, 1.9% of the company’s stock are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 2,714,680 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.7 days. Based on an average trading volume of 2,714,680 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.7 days. Currently, 1.9% of the company’s stock are short sold.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently commented on LEVI shares. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $28.00 price objective on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Telsey Advisory Group reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $27.00 price target on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. BTIG Research reissued a “buy” rating and set a $27.00 price target on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, January 31st. Finally, UBS Group upped their price objective 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. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $26.69.

Levi Strauss & Co. Stock Up 0.7%

Shares of LEVI traded up $0.16 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $21.92. 2,323,381 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,856,716. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $21.26 and a 200 day simple moving average of $21.50. Levi Strauss & Co. has a 12-month low of $12.17 and a 12-month high of $24.82. The firm has a market cap of $8.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.02, a P/E/G ratio of 1.74 and a beta of 1.33. The company has a quick ratio of 0.94, a current ratio of 1.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46.

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

Levi Strauss & Co. Announces Dividend

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 paid a $0.14 dividend. This represents a $0.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 10th. Levi Strauss & Co.’s payout ratio is presently 38.36%.

Insider Transactions at Levi Strauss & Co.

In other Levi Strauss & Co. news, EVP Jason Gowans sold 40,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.83, for a total transaction of $873,200.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 92,199 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,012,704.17. This trade represents a 30.26% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, SVP David Jedrzejek sold 2,248 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $19.60, for a total transaction of $44,060.80. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 106,818 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,093,632.80. This represents a 2.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 49,341 shares of company stock valued at $1,068,909. 1.25% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Levi Strauss & Co.

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. US Bancorp DE lifted its holdings in Levi Strauss & Co. by 260.5% during the 3rd quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 1,121 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 810 shares in the last quarter. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC acquired a new stake in Levi Strauss & Co. during the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its stake in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 140.7% in 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 acquiring an additional 833 shares in the last quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in the fourth quarter worth $39,000. Finally, Hara Capital LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 8,080.0% during the 2nd quarter. Hara Capital LLC now owns 2,045 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock worth $38,000 after acquiring an additional 2,020 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 69.14% of the company’s stock.

About Levi Strauss & Co.

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.