Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) Sets New 12-Month High – Should You Buy?

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI)’s stock price hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $25.70 and last traded at $24.78, with a volume of 361605 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $25.53.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

LEVI has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $28.00 price target on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Barclays raised their price objective on Levi Strauss & Co. from $26.00 to $27.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, July 10th. BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $27.00 target price on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Wall Street Zen raised Levi Strauss & Co. from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, April 11th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on Levi Strauss & Co. from $30.00 to $32.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, July 2nd. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Levi Strauss & Co. presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $27.29.

Levi Strauss & Co. Stock Down 1.6%

The firm has a market cap of $9.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.53, a P/E/G ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 1.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46, a quick ratio of 0.98 and a current ratio of 1.60. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $23.68 and its 200 day moving average is $21.91.

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) last released its quarterly 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 for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.52 billion. Levi Strauss & Co. had a net margin of 9.66% and a return on equity of 25.79%. The business’s revenue was up 8.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.22 EPS. Levi Strauss & Co. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.460-1.520 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Levi Strauss & Co. will post 1.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Levi Strauss & Co. Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 22nd will be paid a dividend of $0.16 per share. This represents a $0.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.5%. This is an increase from Levi Strauss & Co.’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.14. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 22nd. Levi Strauss & Co.’s dividend payout ratio is 39.51%.

Insider Transactions at Levi Strauss & Co.

In related news, major shareholder Margaret E. Haas sold 47,721 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $24.01, for a total value of $1,145,781.21. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, major shareholder Robert D. Haas sold 488,851 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $24.11, for a total value of $11,786,197.61. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 1,334,947 shares of company stock valued at $31,119,240. 1.08% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Levi Strauss & Co.

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake 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 acquiring an additional 342,009 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its stake in Levi Strauss & Co. by 462.4% in the 1st quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 4,839,861 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock worth $89,489,000 after purchasing an additional 3,979,223 shares in the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Levi Strauss & Co. by 44.0% in 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 purchasing an additional 1,296,474 shares during the period. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. boosted its holdings in Levi Strauss & Co. by 9.3% in the 3rd quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 3,457,702 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock valued at $80,564,000 after purchasing an additional 294,053 shares during the period. Finally, Eastern Bank acquired a new position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $60,854,000. Institutional investors own 69.14% of the company’s stock.

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.