Insider Selling: Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) Major Shareholder Sells 1,150 Shares of Stock

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI - Get Free Report) major shareholder Bradley J. Haas sold 1,150 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, July 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $21.32, for a total transaction of $24,518.00. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Large shareholders that own 10% or more of a company's stock are required to disclose their transactions with the SEC.

Levi Strauss & Co. Price Performance

Shares of Levi Strauss & Co. stock traded down $0.15 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $20.91. 2,441,178 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,235,994. The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 1.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49. The business has a 50-day moving average of $18.35 and a 200 day moving average of $17.29. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.28 billion, a PE ratio of 20.50, a PEG ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.15. Levi Strauss & Co. has a fifty-two week low of $12.17 and a fifty-two week high of $22.35.

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 10th. The blue-jean maker reported $0.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.13 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $1.45 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.37 billion. Levi Strauss & Co. had a return on equity of 28.75% and a net margin of 6.40%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.16 earnings per share. On average, analysts predict that Levi Strauss & Co. will post 1.27 EPS for the current year.

Levi Strauss & Co. Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 8th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, July 24th will be paid a $0.14 dividend. This represents a $0.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.68%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 24th. This is a positive change from Levi Strauss & Co.'s previous quarterly dividend of $0.13. Levi Strauss & Co.'s dividend payout ratio is 50.98%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

LEVI has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Citigroup increased their price objective on Levi Strauss & Co. from $19.00 to $22.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, July 11th. Barclays restated an "overweight" rating and set a $24.00 price target (up from $20.00) on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a report on Monday, July 14th. Telsey Advisory Group lifted their price objective on Levi Strauss & Co. from $21.00 to $24.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, July 11th. Bank of America boosted their price target on Levi Strauss & Co. from $21.00 to $24.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, July 11th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus increased their price target on Levi Strauss & Co. from $20.00 to $24.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, July 11th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Levi Strauss & Co. has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $23.45.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Levi Strauss & Co.

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in LEVI. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in Levi Strauss & Co. by 19.2% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 946,998 shares of the blue-jean maker's stock worth $16,383,000 after buying an additional 152,590 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in Levi Strauss & Co. during the fourth quarter worth about $2,450,000. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. lifted its holdings in Levi Strauss & Co. by 52.5% during the 4th quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. now owns 16,969 shares of the blue-jean maker's stock valued at $294,000 after purchasing an additional 5,842 shares during the last quarter. Counterpoint Mutual Funds LLC bought a new position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in the fourth quarter worth about $278,000. Finally, Teacher Retirement System of Texas bought a new stake in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. during the fourth quarter worth approximately $498,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 69.14% of the company's stock.

Levi Strauss & Co. Company Profile

Levi Strauss & Co engages in the design, marketing, and sale of apparel products. The company offers jeans, casual and dress pants, tops, shorts, skirts, jackets, footwear, and related accessories. It operates through the following geographical segments: Americas, Europe, and Asia. The company was founded by Levi Strauss in 1853 and is headquartered in San Francisco, CA.