Caption Management LLC Takes Position in Levi Strauss & Co. $LEVI

Key Points

• Caption Management LLC has purchased a new stake in Levi Strauss & Co., acquiring 17,500 shares valued at approximately $273,000 during the first quarter.
• Several hedge funds, including Millennium Management LLC and Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC, have significantly increased their holdings in Levi Strauss & Co., showcasing strong institutional interest in the company.
• The company recently declared a quarterly dividend increase from $0.13 to $0.14, which represents an annualized yield of 2.5%.

Caption Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI - Free Report) in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm acquired 17,500 shares of the blue-jean maker's stock, valued at approximately $273,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of LEVI. Golden State Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 101.5% during the 1st quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,210 shares of the blue-jean maker's stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 1,113 shares during the last quarter. IFP Advisors Inc acquired a new stake in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. during the 1st quarter worth about $38,000. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. increased its position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 35.4% during the 1st quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 3,109 shares of the blue-jean maker's stock worth $49,000 after purchasing an additional 812 shares during the last quarter. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. during the 4th quarter worth about $57,000. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. during the 1st quarter worth about $81,000. 69.14% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Levi Strauss & Co. Stock Down 1.3%

Shares of LEVI traded down $0.30 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $22.25. The company had a trading volume of 1,570,953 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,826,059. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $20.70 and its 200-day simple moving average is $18.01. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a current ratio of 1.48. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.81, a P/E/G ratio of 1.82 and a beta of 1.25. Levi Strauss & Co. has a 1 year low of $12.17 and a 1 year high of $22.83.

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 10th. The blue-jean maker reported $0.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.13 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $1.45 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.37 billion. Levi Strauss & Co. had a return on equity of 28.75% and a net margin of 6.40%.The business's quarterly revenue was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.16 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Levi Strauss & Co. will post 1.27 EPS for the current year.

Levi Strauss & Co. Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 8th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, July 24th were paid a $0.14 dividend. This represents a $0.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, July 24th. This is a boost from Levi Strauss & Co.'s previous quarterly dividend of $0.13. Levi Strauss & Co.'s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 54.90%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

LEVI has been the subject of several research reports. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on Levi Strauss & Co. from $16.00 to $19.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Friday, July 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Levi Strauss & Co. from $18.00 to $23.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, July 11th. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their target price on Levi Strauss & Co. from $20.00 to $24.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, July 11th. Citigroup lifted their target price on Levi Strauss & Co. from $19.00 to $22.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, July 11th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their target price on Levi Strauss & Co. from $20.00 to $28.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, July 18th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Levi Strauss & Co. currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $23.45.

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.