Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) Stock Rating Cut to Buy at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen downgraded Levi Strauss from “strong buy” to “buy,” while the broader analyst consensus remains “Moderate Buy,” with a $27.25 average price target.
• Levi Strauss exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting EPS of $0.28 versus a $0.24 estimate and revenue of $1.56 billion, up 8% year over year.
• The stock opened at $19.86, below its $25.70 annual high, while institutional investors own 69.14% of shares; an executive’s 98,144-share sale was conducted under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan.

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI - Get Free Report) was downgraded by equities research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note issued on Saturday, Wall Street Zen reports.

Several other analysts have also issued reports on the company. Jefferies Financial Group cut their target price on Levi Strauss & Co. from $27.00 to $25.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday. Telsey Advisory Group lifted their price target on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from $27.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 2nd. Raymond James Financial boosted their price objective on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from $25.00 to $27.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, July 2nd. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "buy (b-)" rating on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $28.00 target price on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $27.25.

Levi Strauss & Co. Trading Down 0.3%

Shares of LEVI opened at $19.86 on Friday. Levi Strauss & Co. has a 1-year low of $17.72 and a 1-year high of $25.70. The company has a market capitalization of $7.64 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.26, a P/E/G ratio of 1.31 and a beta of 1.32. 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 firm's 50 day simple moving average is $21.61 and its 200 day simple moving average is $22.08.

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results 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 during 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 quarterly revenue was up 8.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.22 EPS. Levi Strauss & Co. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.460-1.520 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Levi Strauss & Co. will post 1.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Harmit Singh sold 98,144 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $24.22, for a total transaction 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. This represents a 49.85% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders own 1.08% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Levi Strauss & Co.

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted 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 acquiring an additional 1,296,474 shares in the last quarter. Fund 1 Investments LLC bought a new position in Levi Strauss & Co. in the 2nd quarter worth $3,318,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp raised its holdings in Levi Strauss & Co. by 42.8% in the 2nd quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 180,423 shares of the blue-jean maker's stock worth $4,428,000 after purchasing an additional 54,107 shares in the last quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC bought a new position in Levi Strauss & Co. in the 4th quarter worth $1,887,000. Finally, GW&K Investment Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 31.5% in 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 purchasing an additional 531,963 shares during the period. 69.14% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Levi Strauss & Co. News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Healthy denim demand may support the third quarter. Jefferies expects a solid quarter and said full-year profit guidance could move modestly higher, although revenue guidance may be reiterated because of persistent inflation. Jefferies expects a solid third quarter for Levi Strauss
• Positive Sentiment: BTIG reaffirmed its “Buy” rating. The bullish stance provides some support ahead of the earnings release, while Needham reportedly viewed Levi’s incoming finance chief favorably. BTIG reaffirms Buy rating
• Positive Sentiment: Levi is strengthening its finance organization. Skechers CFO John Vandemore is scheduled to become Levi’s CFO and executive vice president on November 1, potentially bringing additional operating and financial-management expertise. Skechers CFO joins Levi’s
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are focused on the upcoming third-quarter report. Wall Street forecasts and key operating metrics for the quarter ended August 2026 will shape expectations for revenue, margins and the company’s full-year outlook. Levi Strauss third-quarter earnings forecasts
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts are trimming valuation expectations ahead of earnings. Citigroup lowered its expectations for LEVI’s stock price, while other reports cited reduced price targets. The cuts signal concern about inflation, the revenue outlook or limited upside despite continued denim demand. Citigroup lowers expectations for Levi Strauss
• Negative Sentiment: The CFO transition creates near-term uncertainty. Levi is replacing its finance chief while also making broader strategic adjustments; reports that former creative executive Derek Lam is returning add to the perception of an ongoing management and strategy reshuffle. Levi’s management changes

About Levi Strauss & Co.

Levi Strauss & Co is an apparel company best known for its Levi's brand of denim jeans and related clothing. Its product portfolio includes jeans, tops, bottoms, jackets, footwear, accessories and other casualwear for men, women and children.

Founded in 1853 and headquartered in San Francisco, California, the company also owns the Dockers, Beyond Yoga and Signature by Levi Strauss & Co brands. Levi Strauss & Co sells its products through company-operated stores, e-commerce platforms, wholesale partners and other distribution channels.

The company serves customers in North America, Europe, Asia and other international markets.

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