GW&K Investment Management LLC Purchases Shares of 1,687,636 Levi Strauss & Co. $LEVI

Key Points

• GW&K Investment Management bought a new stake of 1,687,636 shares of Levi Strauss (≈$39.3M), representing about 0.43% ownership of the company per its SEC filing.
• Levi beat quarterly estimates with $0.41 EPS vs. $0.39 and $1.77B revenue, set FY2026 guidance of 1.400–1.460 EPS, and carries a consensus analyst rating of “Moderate Buy” (12 Buy, 3 Hold) with an average target of $26.69.
• Company insiders sold 49,341 shares (~$1.07M) last quarter (including EVP Jason Gowans’ 40,000-share sale), and Levi pays a quarterly dividend of $0.14 (annualized yield ~2.8%).

GW&K Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI - Free Report) during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 1,687,636 shares of the blue-jean maker's stock, valued at approximately $39,322,000. GW&K Investment Management LLC owned about 0.43% of Levi Strauss & Co. as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in 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 valued at $2,364,000 after buying 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 approximately $224,000. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 133.5% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 3,286 shares of the blue-jean maker's stock valued at $51,000 after acquiring an additional 1,879 shares during the period. Caxton Associates LLP bought a new stake in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in the first quarter valued at approximately $241,000. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC grew its stake in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 3.4% in the first 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 worth $24,908,000 after acquiring an additional 52,332 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 69.14% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently commented on LEVI shares. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. They set a "buy" rating and a $25.00 target price for the company. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, January 31st. BTIG Research reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $27.00 target price on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. UBS Group lifted their target price on Levi Strauss & Co. from $32.00 to $33.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Finally, Raymond James Financial assumed coverage on Levi Strauss & Co. in a report on Tuesday, December 23rd. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $26.00 price target for the company. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Levi Strauss & Co. has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $26.69.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Levi Strauss & Co. news, EVP Jason Gowans sold 40,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $21.83, for a total transaction of $873,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 92,199 shares in the company, valued at $2,012,704.17. This represents a 30.26% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, SVP David Jedrzejek sold 2,248 shares of Levi Strauss & Co. stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $19.60, for a total value of $44,060.80. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 106,818 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,093,632.80. The trade was a 2.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 49,341 shares of company stock worth $1,068,909 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 1.25% of the company's stock.

Levi Strauss & Co. Price Performance

Shares of Levi Strauss & Co. stock opened at $20.29 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a current ratio of 1.55. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $21.32 and its 200-day simple moving average is $21.64. Levi Strauss & Co. has a twelve month low of $12.17 and a twelve month high of $24.82. The firm has a market cap of $7.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 1.28.

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The blue-jean maker reported $0.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.39 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $1.77 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.71 billion. Levi Strauss & Co. had a net margin of 9.20% and a return on equity of 25.08%. The company's quarterly revenue was up .9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.50 earnings per share. Levi Strauss & Co. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.400-1.460 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Levi Strauss & Co. will post 1.27 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Levi Strauss & Co. Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 25th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 10th were paid a $0.14 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 10th. This represents a $0.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.8%. Levi Strauss & Co.'s payout ratio is currently 38.36%.

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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