Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) Major Shareholder E. Haas Jr. Family Fund Peter Sells 4,338 Shares

Key Points

• Major shareholder E. Haas Jr. Family Fund Peter sold 4,338 shares of Levi Strauss & Co. at $24.00 each, totaling $104,112. The sale was made under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan and cut the holding by 50%.
• Levi Strauss reported stronger-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $0.42 versus $0.37 expected and revenue of $1.74 billion versus $1.65 billion expected. Revenue rose 14.1% year over year, helped by direct-to-consumer growth.
• The stock has been relatively strong, recently trading up 1.3% to $23.69 and sitting near its 52-week high, while analysts remain broadly positive with a Moderate Buy consensus and average target price of $26.79.

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI - Get Free Report) major shareholder E. Haas Jr. Family Fund Peter sold 4,338 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $24.00, for a total transaction of $104,112.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 4,338 shares in the company, valued at $104,112. The trade was a 50.00% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Large shareholders that own 10% or more of a company's shares are required to disclose their transactions with the SEC.

Levi Strauss & Co. Stock Up 1.3%

Shares of Levi Strauss & Co. stock traded up $0.31 during trading on Thursday, reaching $23.69. 1,965,915 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,715,071. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a current ratio of 1.58 and a quick ratio of 0.97. Levi Strauss & Co. has a 1-year low of $16.50 and a 1-year high of $24.82. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $21.09 and a 200-day moving average price of $21.14. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.11 billion, a PE ratio of 15.09, a P/E/G ratio of 1.74 and a beta of 1.35.

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, April 7th. The blue-jean maker reported $0.42 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.37 by $0.05. Levi Strauss & Co. had a net margin of 9.52% and a return on equity of 25.35%. The company had revenue of $1.74 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.65 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.38 EPS. Levi Strauss & Co.'s quarterly revenue was up 14.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Levi Strauss & Co. will post 1.5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Levi Strauss & Co. Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, May 6th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 22nd were given a dividend of $0.14 per share. This represents a $0.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, April 22nd. Levi Strauss & Co.'s payout ratio is presently 35.67%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have commented on the stock. Telsey Advisory Group restated an "outperform" rating and set a $27.00 price target on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research note on Wednesday, April 1st. UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from $33.00 to $34.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. They set a "buy" rating and a $25.00 price target for the company. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, April 11th. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $26.79.

Key Levi Strauss & Co. News

Here are the key news stories impacting Levi Strauss & Co. this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts continue to view Levi Strauss & Co. as a generally favorable name, with the stock carrying a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average target price above recent trading levels. Levi Strauss & Co. NYSE: LEVI Given Consensus Rating of "Moderate Buy" by Analysts
• Positive Sentiment: The company’s latest earnings beat expectations, with revenue and EPS both topping estimates and revenue rising 14.1% year over year, reinforcing the view that Levi’s direct-to-consumer growth is helping results. Levi Strauss Gains as DTC Continues to Fuel Revenue Growth
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent commentary focused on valuation after a rally, noting that LEVI has traded above some fair-value estimates, which may limit near-term upside even if the business remains healthy. A Look at Levi Strauss & Co (LEVI) After 4.6% Gain
• Negative Sentiment: Major shareholder Robert D. Haas disclosed several stock sales, including a large block sale, which can weigh on sentiment because insider selling sometimes signals limited conviction near current prices, even though the trades were made under a pre-arranged 10b5-1 plan.

Institutional Trading of Levi Strauss & Co.

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in LEVI. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its stake in shares of 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. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. grew its position in Levi Strauss & Co. by 123,970.4% during the second quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 3,163,649 shares of the blue-jean maker's stock valued at $58,496,000 after buying an additional 3,166,203 shares during the period. GW&K Investment Management LLC bought a new position in Levi Strauss & Co. during the third quarter valued at about $39,322,000. Swedbank AB bought a new position in Levi Strauss & Co. during the first quarter valued at about $24,799,000. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its position in Levi Strauss & Co. by 44.0% during the fourth quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 4,243,680 shares of the blue-jean maker's stock valued at $88,014,000 after buying an additional 1,296,474 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 69.14% of the company's stock.

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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