Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) Major Shareholder Robert Haas Sells 31,000 Shares

Key Points

• Major shareholder Robert Haas sold 31,000 Levi Strauss shares on May 21 at an average price of $22.00, totaling about $682,000. The sale was made under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.
• Levi Strauss stock was up 3.4% in recent trading, reaching $22.77, with the company valued at about $8.76 billion. The shares have traded between $16.50 and $24.82 over the past 12 months.
• The company recently beat earnings expectations, reporting $0.42 EPS on revenue of $1.74 billion, and it also paid a quarterly dividend of $0.14 per share. Analysts remain generally positive, with an average rating of Moderate Buy and a target price of $26.69.

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI - Get Free Report) major shareholder Robert Haas sold 31,000 shares of Levi Strauss & Co. stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $22.00, for a total value of $682,000.00. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Large shareholders that own at least 10% of a company's stock are required to disclose their transactions with the SEC.

Levi Strauss & Co. Stock Up 3.4%

NYSE:LEVI traded up $0.75 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $22.77. The company had a trading volume of 958,981 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,706,583. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.50, a PEG ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 1.35. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $20.89 and its 200-day simple moving average is $21.09. 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 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. The firm 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%.Levi Strauss & Co.'s revenue was up 14.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.38 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate 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 issued a $0.14 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, April 22nd. This represents a $0.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.5%. Levi Strauss & Co.'s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 35.67%.

Institutional Trading of Levi Strauss & Co.

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC purchased a new stake in Levi Strauss & Co. during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. US Bancorp DE increased its position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 260.5% during the third quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 1,121 shares of the blue-jean maker's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 810 shares in the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 140.7% during the second quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 1,425 shares of the blue-jean maker's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 833 shares in the last quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. during the fourth quarter worth about $39,000. Finally, MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 133.5% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 3,286 shares of the blue-jean maker's stock worth $51,000 after purchasing an additional 1,879 shares in the last quarter. 69.14% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

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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