Stock Traders Purchase Large Volume of Levi Strauss & Co. Call Options (NYSE:LEVI)

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) was the recipient of some unusual options trading activity on Thursday. Investors bought 5,843 call options on the stock. This is an increase of 100% compared to the average daily volume of 2,927 call options.

Levi Strauss & Co. Stock Performance

NYSE:LEVI traded up $0.39 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $24.76. The company had a trading volume of 3,224,046 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,708,986. 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 1-year low of $17.72 and a 1-year high of $25.58. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $23.05 and its 200-day moving average price is $21.61. The firm has a market cap of $9.52 billion, a PE ratio of 15.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 1.33.

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 8th. The blue-jean maker reported $0.28 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.24 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $1.56 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.52 billion. Levi Strauss & Co. had a net margin of 9.52% and a return on equity of 25.35%. The business’s revenue was up 8.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.22 EPS. Levi Strauss & Co. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.460-1.520 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Levi Strauss & Co. will post 1.51 EPS for the current year.

Levi Strauss & Co. Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 22nd will be given a dividend of $0.16 per share. This is a boost from Levi Strauss & Co.’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.14. This represents a $0.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 22nd. Levi Strauss & Co.’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 35.67%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on LEVI shares. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating and issued a $28.00 price objective on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, April 11th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Telsey Advisory Group lifted their price objective on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from $27.00 to $30.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 2nd. Finally, BTIG Research reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $27.00 price objective on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a report on Thursday. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Levi Strauss & Co. presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $27.21.

Levi Strauss & Co. News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Levi Strauss topped Q2 expectations with EPS of $0.28 versus $0.24 expected and revenue of $1.56 billion versus $1.52 billion expected, showing 8% year-over-year sales growth. Levi Strauss & Co. Reports Second-Quarter Results
• Positive Sentiment: The company raised full-year guidance again and lifted its quarterly dividend to $0.16 per share, signaling confidence in cash generation and business momentum. Levi Strauss Raises Guidance Again
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst commentary remained supportive, with BTIG and Needham both reaffirming Buy ratings and targeting upside from current levels. Benzinga report on BTIG and Needham ratings
• Neutral Sentiment: Levi Strauss continues to shift toward a direct-to-consumer, broader apparel model, including store and distribution changes, which may improve margins over time but adds near-term execution questions. Levi Strauss & Co raises outlook as Q2 results surpass forecasts
• Negative Sentiment: Investors appear disappointed that the company’s forward earnings outlook was more conservative than hoped, even after the Q2 beat, which is pressuring the shares. Levi’s stock falls 5% despite Q2 beat as full-year earnings guidance disappoints
• Negative Sentiment: Management also flagged tariff headwinds, keeping investors cautious about profit margins and the pace of earnings growth. Wall Street Breakfast Podcast: Levi’s Frayed Forecast

Insider Transactions at Levi Strauss & Co.

In related news, major shareholder E. Haas Jr. Family Fund Peter sold 145,662 shares of Levi Strauss & Co. stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $24.01, for a total value of $3,497,344.62. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 145,662 shares in the company, valued at $3,497,344.62. This trade represents a 50.00% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, major shareholder Margaret E. Haas sold 47,721 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $24.01, for a total transaction of $1,145,781.21. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 1,468,570 shares of company stock worth $34,136,152 over the last ninety days. 1.08% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 462.4% during the 1st quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 4,839,861 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock valued at $89,489,000 after acquiring an additional 3,979,223 shares during the period. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. raised its holdings in Levi Strauss & Co. by 123,970.4% in the 2nd quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 3,163,649 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock worth $58,496,000 after purchasing an additional 3,166,203 shares during the period. Eastern Bank purchased a new position in Levi Strauss & Co. during the second quarter worth approximately $60,854,000. Swedbank AB purchased a new position in Levi Strauss & Co. during the first quarter worth approximately $24,799,000. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its holdings in Levi Strauss & Co. by 44.0% in the fourth quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 4,243,680 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock valued at $88,014,000 after purchasing an additional 1,296,474 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.