UBS Group AG Acquires 309,546 Shares of Levi Strauss & Co. $LEVI

Key Points

• UBS Group AG boosted its Levi Strauss stake by 24.6% in the fourth quarter, buying 309,546 additional shares for a total of 1,566,880 shares worth about $32.5 million.
• Levi Strauss reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $0.42 and revenue of $1.74 billion, both ahead of analyst estimates. Revenue rose 14.1% year over year.
• Wall Street remains generally positive on the stock, with a Moderate Buy consensus and average price target of $26.69. However, several insiders sold shares in recent months, including two EVP transactions.

UBS Group AG raised its holdings in Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI - Free Report) by 24.6% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,566,880 shares of the blue-jean maker's stock after acquiring an additional 309,546 shares during the quarter. UBS Group AG owned approximately 0.40% of Levi Strauss & Co. worth $32,497,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Figure 8 Investment Strategies LLC grew its position in Levi Strauss & Co. by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. Figure 8 Investment Strategies LLC now owns 50,939 shares of the blue-jean maker's stock valued at $1,056,000 after acquiring an additional 583 shares during the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp lifted its holdings in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 10.3% in the 3rd quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 6,553 shares of the blue-jean maker's stock worth $151,000 after buying an additional 614 shares during the period. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 2.4% in the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 26,732 shares of the blue-jean maker's stock worth $575,000 after buying an additional 638 shares during the period. US Bancorp DE lifted its holdings in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 260.5% in the 3rd quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 1,121 shares of the blue-jean maker's stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 810 shares during the period. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its holdings in shares of 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 worth $26,000 after buying an additional 833 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 69.14% of the company's stock.

Levi Strauss & Co. Price Performance

Shares of LEVI stock opened at $22.66 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.58, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.43, a P/E/G ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 1.35. Levi Strauss & Co. has a twelve month low of $16.50 and a twelve month high of $24.82. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $20.59 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $21.02.

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

Levi Strauss & Co. Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, May 6th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 22nd were paid a dividend of $0.14 per share. This represents a $0.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, April 22nd. Levi Strauss & Co.'s dividend payout ratio is 35.67%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on LEVI shares. Weiss Ratings upgraded Levi Strauss & Co. from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Wednesday. UBS Group upped their target price on Levi Strauss & Co. from $33.00 to $34.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $28.00 target price on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Levi Strauss & Co. from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Saturday, April 11th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on Levi Strauss & Co. in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $25.00 target price for the company. Twelve research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $26.69.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Harmit J. Singh sold 121,767 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $23.52, for a total transaction of $2,863,959.84. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 148,757 shares in the company, valued at $3,498,764.64. This represents a 45.01% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Karyn Hillman sold 38,938 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $22.91, for a total value of $892,069.58. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 91,522 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,096,769.02. This trade represents a 29.85% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 310,705 shares of company stock worth $7,159,229 in the last three months. 1.08% of the stock is owned by insiders.

About Levi Strauss & Co.

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding LEVI? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.