69,875 Shares in Levi Strauss & Co. $LEVI Acquired by Jupiter Asset Management Ltd.

Key Points

• Jupiter Asset Management opened a new position in Levi Strauss & Co., buying 69,875 shares valued at about $1.45 million in the fourth quarter.
• Analysts remain broadly positive on LEVI, with the stock carrying a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average target price of $26.79, above its recent trading level.
• Levi Strauss reported better-than-expected quarterly results, including EPS of $0.42 versus $0.37 expected and revenue of $1.74 billion, while insiders also made notable stock sales in recent months.

Jupiter Asset Management Ltd. purchased a new position in Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 69,875 shares of the blue-jean maker's stock, valued at approximately $1,449,000.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in LEVI. US Bancorp DE raised its position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 260.5% during the third quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 1,121 shares of the blue-jean maker's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 810 shares during the period. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its position in Levi Strauss & Co. by 140.7% in the 2nd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 1,425 shares of the blue-jean maker's stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 833 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its stake in Levi Strauss & Co. by 133.5% during the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 3,286 shares of the blue-jean maker's stock valued at $51,000 after purchasing an additional 1,879 shares in the last quarter. LSV Asset Management bought a new stake in Levi Strauss & Co. during the 3rd quarter valued at $117,000. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC raised its holdings in Levi Strauss & Co. by 17,721.6% during the second quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC now owns 6,594 shares of the blue-jean maker's stock worth $122,000 after buying an additional 6,557 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 69.14% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have weighed in on LEVI. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $25.00 price objective on the stock. Telsey Advisory Group restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $27.00 target price on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a report on Wednesday, April 1st. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $25.00 price target on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research report on Monday, May 4th. TD Cowen reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $28.00 price target on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Levi Strauss & Co. from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Saturday, April 11th. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $26.79.

Insider Activity

In other news, major shareholder Robert D. Haas sold 192,451 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $22.68, for a total value of $4,364,788.68. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, major shareholder Margaret E. Haas sold 2,279 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $24.01, for a total value of $54,718.79. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 783,154 shares of company stock worth $17,630,460. Corporate insiders own 1.08% of the company's stock.

Levi Strauss & Co. Price Performance

LEVI opened at $23.24 on Friday. Levi Strauss & Co. has a 1 year low of $16.50 and a 1 year high of $24.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a current ratio of 1.58 and a quick ratio of 0.97. The company has a market capitalization of $8.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.80, a P/E/G ratio of 1.75 and a beta of 1.35. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $21.28 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $21.17.

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 7th. The blue-jean maker reported $0.42 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.37 by $0.05. Levi Strauss & Co. had a net margin of 9.52% and a return on equity of 25.35%. The company had revenue of $1.74 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.65 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.38 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 14.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts anticipate that Levi Strauss & Co. will post 1.5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Levi Strauss & Co. Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, May 6th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 22nd were paid a $0.14 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, April 22nd. This represents a $0.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. Levi Strauss & Co.'s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 35.67%.

Levi Strauss & Co. News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts continue to rate Levi Strauss as a “Moderate Buy”, suggesting Wall Street still sees upside potential, with a consensus target price above the current share price. Levi Strauss & Co. NYSE: LEVI Given Consensus Rating of "Moderate Buy" by Analysts
• Positive Sentiment: Recent commentary highlighted Levi Strauss’ direct-to-consumer growth as a key driver of revenue expansion, reinforcing the company’s fundamental momentum. Levi Strauss Gains as DTC Continues to Fuel Revenue Growth
• Neutral Sentiment: Levi Strauss recently reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with earnings and revenue both topping estimates, which continues to support the stock’s longer-term valuation.
• Negative Sentiment: Major shareholder Robert D. Haas sold 192,451 shares in a pre-arranged transaction, a sizable insider sale that can dampen investor sentiment. SEC filing for Robert D. Haas sale
• Negative Sentiment: Additional insider selling by Peter Haas Jr. Family Fund and Margaret E. Haas added to concerns about insider confidence, even though the trades were made under 10b5-1 plans. SEC filing for Peter Haas Jr. Family Fund sale SEC filing for Margaret E. Haas sale

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.

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