Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) EVP Karyn Hillman Sells 38,938 Shares

Key Points

• EVP Karyn Hillman sold 38,938 shares of Levi Strauss stock at an average price of $22.91, totaling about $892,070 and cutting her position by nearly 30%.
• Levi Strauss beat quarterly expectations, reporting $0.42 EPS on revenue of $1.74 billion, both above analyst estimates, with revenue up 14.1% year over year.
• The company also paid a quarterly dividend of $0.14 per share, implying a 2.5% annualized yield, while analysts remain broadly positive with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy.

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI - Get Free Report) EVP Karyn Hillman sold 38,938 shares of Levi Strauss & Co. stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $22.91, for a total value of $892,069.58. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 91,522 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,096,769.02. The trade was a 29.85% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink.

Levi Strauss & Co. Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE LEVI traded down $0.09 during trading on Friday, reaching $22.66. 1,983,440 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,695,031. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $20.59 and its 200 day simple moving average is $21.02. The stock has a market cap of $8.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.43, a PEG ratio of 1.74 and a beta of 1.35. Levi Strauss & Co. has a 12-month low of $16.50 and a 12-month high of $24.82. The company has a current ratio of 1.58, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48.

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 7th. The blue-jean maker reported $0.42 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.37 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $1.74 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.65 billion. Levi Strauss & Co. had a return on equity of 25.35% and a net margin of 9.52%.The company's revenue was up 14.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.38 EPS. As a group, research 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 announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, May 6th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 22nd were issued a dividend of $0.14 per share. This represents a $0.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, April 22nd. Levi Strauss & Co.'s payout ratio is 35.67%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Saturday, April 11th. BTIG Research reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $27.00 target price on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Telsey Advisory Group restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $27.00 price target on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research note on Wednesday, April 1st. UBS Group lifted their price target on Levi Strauss & Co. from $33.00 to $34.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC restated a "buy" rating and issued a $28.00 price target on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Levi Strauss & Co. currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $26.69.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Levi Strauss & Co.

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. increased its holdings in Levi Strauss & Co. by 9.9% in the 1st quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 16,866 shares of the blue-jean maker's stock worth $312,000 after acquiring an additional 1,523 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its holdings in Levi Strauss & Co. by 8.7% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,849,014 shares of the blue-jean maker's stock worth $34,185,000 after acquiring an additional 148,174 shares in the last quarter. Aurora Investment Counsel purchased a new stake in Levi Strauss & Co. in the 1st quarter worth $533,000. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC increased its holdings in Levi Strauss & Co. by 12.6% in the 1st quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 1,325,256 shares of the blue-jean maker's stock worth $25,180,000 after acquiring an additional 148,067 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its holdings in Levi Strauss & Co. by 462.4% in the 1st quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 4,839,861 shares of the blue-jean maker's stock worth $89,489,000 after acquiring an additional 3,979,223 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 69.14% of the company's stock.

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.

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