Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) Shares Bought by BNP Paribas Financial Markets

BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its stake in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI - Free Report) by 314.4% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 139,466 shares of the blue-jean maker's stock after purchasing an additional 105,809 shares during the period. BNP Paribas Financial Markets' holdings in Levi Strauss & Co. were worth $2,413,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of LEVI. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in Levi Strauss & Co. during the fourth quarter worth approximately $39,000. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. during the 4th quarter valued at $82,000. R Squared Ltd purchased a new stake in Levi Strauss & Co. during the 4th quarter worth $105,000. Manchester Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Levi Strauss & Co. in the 4th quarter valued at $115,000. Finally, Jones Financial Companies Lllp raised its position in Levi Strauss & Co. by 1,436.0% in the fourth quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 7,250 shares of the blue-jean maker's stock valued at $125,000 after purchasing an additional 6,778 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 69.14% of the company's stock.

Levi Strauss & Co. Stock Up 1.5%

Shares of LEVI traded up $0.27 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $17.85. The company had a trading volume of 1,997,457 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,155,608. The stock has a market cap of $7.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.33, a PEG ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 1.14. The company's 50 day moving average price is $15.73 and its 200 day moving average price is $16.88. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 1.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. Levi Strauss & Co. has a 52 week low of $12.17 and a 52 week high of $24.34.

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Monday, April 7th. The blue-jean maker reported $0.38 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.28 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $1.53 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.54 billion. Levi Strauss & Co. had a return on equity of 25.88% and a net margin of 3.32%. Levi Strauss & Co.'s quarterly revenue was up 3.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.26 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Levi Strauss & Co. will post 1.27 EPS for the current year.

Levi Strauss & Co. Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 9th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 24th were issued a dividend of $0.13 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, April 24th. This represents a $0.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.91%. Levi Strauss & Co.'s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 58.43%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Citigroup decreased their target price on Levi Strauss & Co. from $19.00 to $14.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 7th. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price target on Levi Strauss & Co. from $25.00 to $20.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 8th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from $20.00 to $22.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 14th. Barclays reduced their target price on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from $22.00 to $18.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 8th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and lowered their price target for the company from $19.00 to $17.00 in a report on Tuesday, April 8th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $19.82.

Levi Strauss & Co. Company Profile

Levi Strauss & Co engages in the design, marketing, and sale of apparel products. The company offers jeans, casual and dress pants, tops, shorts, skirts, jackets, footwear, and related accessories. It operates through the following geographical segments: Americas, Europe, and Asia. The company was founded by Levi Strauss in 1853 and is headquartered in San Francisco, CA.