Dimensional Fund Advisors LP Raises Holdings in Levi Strauss & Co. $LEVI

Key Points

• Dimensional Fund Advisors increased its Levi Strauss holdings by 8.7% in the first quarter, adding 148,174 shares to own 1.85 million shares worth approximately $34.2 million. Institutional investors collectively hold 69.14% of the company.
• Analysts maintain a broadly positive view, with 12 Buy ratings and four Holds, resulting in a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $27.43. Levi recently exceeded quarterly earnings and revenue estimates, reporting $0.28 EPS and $1.56 billion in revenue.
• Levi Strauss raised its quarterly dividend from $0.14 to $0.16 per share, equivalent to a $0.64 annualized payout and a 2.6% yield. Meanwhile, insiders sold 1.30 million shares valued at approximately $30.2 million during the last quarter.

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its holdings in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI - Free Report) by 8.7% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,849,014 shares of the blue-jean maker's stock after buying an additional 148,174 shares during the quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP owned about 0.48% of Levi Strauss & Co. worth $34,185,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 181.6% in the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 151,645 shares of the blue-jean maker's stock worth $2,364,000 after acquiring an additional 97,800 shares during the last quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. during the first quarter worth $224,000. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its position in shares of 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 worth $51,000 after acquiring an additional 1,879 shares in the last quarter. Caxton Associates LLP purchased a new stake in Levi Strauss & Co. during the first quarter worth approximately $241,000. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 3.4% in the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 1,597,687 shares of the blue-jean maker's stock valued at $24,908,000 after buying an additional 52,332 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 69.14% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Levi Strauss & Co.

In related news, major shareholder Robert D. Haas sold 488,851 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $24.11, for a total value of $11,786,197.61. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, major shareholder E. Haas Jr. Family Fund Peter sold 145,662 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $24.01, for a total value of $3,497,344.62. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 145,662 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,497,344.62. This trade represents a 50.00% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 1,296,009 shares of company stock valued at $30,227,170 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 1.08% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently issued reports on LEVI shares. Needham & Company LLC reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $28.00 target price on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. UBS Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $34.00 price objective on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Barclays upped their price target on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from $26.00 to $27.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, July 10th. Raymond James Financial lifted their price objective on Levi Strauss & Co. from $25.00 to $27.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, July 2nd. Finally, TD Cowen reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $28.00 price target on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Levi Strauss & Co. presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $27.43.

Levi Strauss & Co. Stock Down 0.6%

Shares of LEVI opened at $24.48 on Wednesday. Levi Strauss & Co. has a fifty-two week low of $17.72 and a fifty-two week high of $25.70. The company's fifty day moving average is $24.03 and its two-hundred day moving average is $22.05. The firm has a market cap of $9.42 billion, a PE ratio of 15.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 1.33. The company has a quick ratio of 0.98, a current ratio of 1.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46.

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data 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 the consensus estimate of $1.52 billion. Levi Strauss & Co. had a return on equity of 25.79% and a net margin of 9.66%.The business's revenue for the quarter was up 8.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.22 EPS. Levi Strauss & Co. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.460-1.520 EPS. Analysts forecast that Levi Strauss & Co. will post 1.54 earnings per share for the current year.

Levi Strauss & Co. Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 22nd will be issued a dividend of $0.16 per share. This represents a $0.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 22nd. This is a positive change from Levi Strauss & Co.'s previous quarterly dividend of $0.14. Levi Strauss & Co.'s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.51%.

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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