Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) Sees Significant Growth in Short Interest

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest during the month of February. As of February 13th, there was short interest totaling 13,397,966 shares, a growth of 81.6% from the January 29th total of 7,377,714 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 3,169,086 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 4.2 days. Approximately 3.5% of the company’s shares are sold short. Approximately 3.5% of the company’s shares are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 3,169,086 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 4.2 days.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently commented on LEVI shares. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $28.00 target price on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on Levi Strauss & Co. in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. They set a “buy” rating and a $25.00 price target on the stock. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $27.00 target price on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $27.00 target price on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Levi Strauss & Co. presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $26.69.

Levi Strauss & Co. Stock Down 1.7%

Shares of NYSE:LEVI traded down $0.38 during trading on Friday, reaching $22.18. 1,615,402 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,490,216. Levi Strauss & Co. has a 1-year low of $12.17 and a 1-year high of $24.82. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $21.33 and a two-hundred day moving average of $21.65. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46, a current ratio of 1.55 and a quick ratio of 0.94. The firm has a market cap of $8.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 1.28.

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The blue-jean maker reported $0.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.39 by $0.02. Levi Strauss & Co. had a net margin of 9.20% and a return on equity of 25.08%. The business had revenue of $1.77 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.71 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.50 EPS. Levi Strauss & Co.’s revenue 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. Research analysts anticipate that Levi Strauss & Co. will post 1.27 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Levi Strauss & Co. Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 25th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 10th were given a $0.14 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 10th. This represents a $0.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.5%. Levi Strauss & Co.’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 38.36%.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Jason Gowans sold 40,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $21.83, for a total value of $873,200.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 92,199 shares in the company, valued at $2,012,704.17. This represents a 30.26% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, SVP David Jedrzejek sold 2,248 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the senior vice president directly owned 106,818 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,093,632.80. This represents a 2.06% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders sold 49,341 shares of company stock valued at $1,068,909. Insiders own 1.25% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Levi Strauss & Co.

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 3.8% in 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 purchasing an additional 342,009 shares in the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its stake in Levi Strauss & Co. by 44.0% during the 4th quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 4,243,680 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock valued at $88,014,000 after acquiring an additional 1,296,474 shares in the last quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. boosted its holdings in Levi Strauss & Co. by 9.3% during the 3rd quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 3,457,702 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock worth $80,564,000 after acquiring an additional 294,053 shares during the last quarter. GW&K Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in Levi Strauss & Co. by 31.5% during the 4th quarter. GW&K Investment Management LLC now owns 2,219,599 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock worth $46,034,000 after acquiring an additional 531,963 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ameriprise Financial Inc. grew its stake in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 83.4% in the 2nd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 1,958,271 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock worth $36,208,000 after acquiring an additional 890,752 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.