Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) Upgraded by Wall Street Zen to “Strong-Buy” Rating

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note released on Sunday morning.

Several other analysts have also weighed in on the company. Wells Fargo & Company reissued an “equal weight” rating and set a $25.00 price objective on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from $26.00 to $27.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, July 10th. Telsey Advisory Group increased their target price on Levi Strauss & Co. from $27.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, July 2nd. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $28.00 price target on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $27.43.

Levi Strauss & Co. Stock Performance

Shares of LEVI opened at $22.60 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $8.70 billion, a PE ratio of 13.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.49 and a beta of 1.33. Levi Strauss & Co. has a one year low of $17.72 and a one year high of $25.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46, a current ratio of 1.60 and a quick ratio of 0.98. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $24.09 and its 200 day moving average price is $22.15.

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 8th. The blue-jean maker reported $0.28 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.24 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $1.56 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.52 billion. Levi Strauss & Co. had a return on equity of 25.79% and a net margin of 9.66%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.22 EPS. Levi Strauss & Co. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.460-1.520 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Levi Strauss & Co. will post 1.54 earnings per share for the current year.

Levi Strauss & Co. Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 22nd were given a $0.16 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, July 22nd. This represents a $0.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.8%. This is an increase from Levi Strauss & Co.’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.14. Levi Strauss & Co.’s dividend payout ratio is currently 39.51%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Levi Strauss & Co. news, EVP Harmit J. Singh sold 98,144 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $24.22, for a total value of $2,377,047.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 98,747 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,391,652.34. The trade was a 49.85% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 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 stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $24.01, for a total value 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. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 1,196,009 shares of company stock valued at $28,114,170. Insiders own 1.08% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Levi Strauss & Co.

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in LEVI. US Bancorp DE grew its stake in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 810 shares in the last quarter. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. boosted its holdings in 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 worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 833 shares during the last quarter. Essential Partners LLC boosted its holdings in Levi Strauss & Co. by 42.1% during the second quarter. Essential Partners LLC now owns 1,795 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 532 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Kestra Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in Levi Strauss & Co. in the fourth quarter valued at $39,000. 69.14% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.