Robert Haas Sells 5,832 Shares of Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) Stock

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) major shareholder Robert Haas sold 5,832 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $24.00, for a total value of $139,968.00. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Large shareholders that own more than 10% of a company’s stock are required to disclose their transactions with the SEC.

Levi Strauss & Co. Trading Down 2.0%

NYSE LEVI opened at $23.24 on Friday. Levi Strauss & Co. has a 12 month low of $16.50 and a 12 month high of $24.82. The stock has a market cap of $8.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.80, a P/E/G ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 1.35. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $21.28 and its 200-day moving average price is $21.17. The company has a current ratio of 1.58, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48.

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, April 7th. The blue-jean maker reported $0.42 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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 firm had revenue of $1.74 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.65 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.38 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 14.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Levi Strauss & Co. will post 1.5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Levi Strauss & Co. Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, May 6th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 22nd were paid a $0.14 dividend. This represents a $0.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, April 22nd. Levi Strauss & Co.’s dividend payout ratio is currently 35.67%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Levi Strauss & Co.

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of LEVI. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 181.6% during 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 buying an additional 97,800 shares during the last quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. bought a new position in Levi Strauss & Co. in the first quarter valued at about $224,000. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. lifted its holdings in 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 acquiring an additional 1,879 shares during the period. Caxton Associates LLP bought a new position in Levi Strauss & Co. in the first quarter valued at about $241,000. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lifted its holdings in 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 acquiring an additional 52,332 shares during the period. 69.14% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Levi Strauss & Co. News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts continue to rate Levi Strauss as a “Moderate Buy”, suggesting Wall Street still sees upside potential, with a consensus target price above the current share price. Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) Given Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts
• Positive Sentiment: Recent commentary highlighted Levi Strauss’ direct-to-consumer growth as a key driver of revenue expansion, reinforcing the company’s fundamental momentum. Levi Strauss Gains as DTC Continues to Fuel Revenue Growth
• Neutral Sentiment: Levi Strauss recently reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with earnings and revenue both topping estimates, which continues to support the stock’s longer-term valuation.
• Negative Sentiment: Major shareholder Robert D. Haas sold 192,451 shares in a pre-arranged transaction, a sizable insider sale that can dampen investor sentiment. SEC filing for Robert D. Haas sale
• Negative Sentiment: Additional insider selling by Peter Haas Jr. Family Fund and Margaret E. Haas added to concerns about insider confidence, even though the trades were made under 10b5-1 plans. SEC filing for Peter Haas Jr. Family Fund sale SEC filing for Margaret E. Haas sale

Analyst Ratings Changes

LEVI has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $27.00 price objective on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research report on Wednesday, April 1st. Weiss Ratings raised Levi Strauss & Co. from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $25.00 price objective on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Wall Street Zen raised Levi Strauss & Co. from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, April 11th. Finally, TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $28.00 price objective on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research report on Wednesday. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $26.79.

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.