Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) Given Average Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by Brokerages

Key Points

• Levi Strauss & Co. has received an average analyst recommendation of "Moderate Buy", with two analysts rating it as a hold and nine as a buy.
• The company reported $1.45 billion in revenue for the last quarter, surpassing analysts' expectations of $1.37 billion, and its earnings per share (EPS) also exceeded estimates.
• Levi Strauss & Co. recently declared a quarterly dividend of $0.14 per share, increasing from the previous dividend of $0.13, representing an annualized yield of 2.9%.

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI - Get Free Report) has been assigned an average rating of "Moderate Buy" from the eleven ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and nine have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price target among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $23.45.

A number of brokerages have issued reports on LEVI. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from $16.00 to $19.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Friday, July 11th. Barclays reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a $24.00 price target (up from $20.00) on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a report on Monday, July 14th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from $20.00 to $24.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, July 11th. Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from $19.00 to $22.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, July 11th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from $22.00 to $25.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, July 11th.

Levi Strauss & Co. Stock Performance

LEVI traded down $0.48 during trading on Friday, hitting $19.21. The company's stock had a trading volume of 2,833,993 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,610,820. The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 1.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49. Levi Strauss & Co. has a one year low of $12.17 and a one year high of $22.35. The firm has a market cap of $7.60 billion, a PE ratio of 18.83, a P/E/G ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 1.21. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $18.89 and its 200-day simple moving average is $17.47.

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 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.13 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $1.45 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.37 billion. Levi Strauss & Co. had a net margin of 6.40% and a return on equity of 28.75%. The company's revenue was up 6.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.16 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Levi Strauss & Co. will post 1.27 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Levi Strauss & Co. Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 8th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 24th will be given a $0.14 dividend. This is a positive change from Levi Strauss & Co.'s previous quarterly dividend of $0.13. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 24th. This represents a $0.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.9%. Levi Strauss & Co.'s dividend payout ratio is presently 54.90%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Levi Strauss & Co.

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Golden State Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 101.5% in the 1st quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,210 shares of the blue-jean maker's stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 1,113 shares in the last quarter. IFP Advisors Inc purchased a new stake in Levi Strauss & Co. during the first quarter worth $38,000. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. lifted its holdings in Levi Strauss & Co. by 35.4% during the first quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 3,109 shares of the blue-jean maker's stock valued at $49,000 after purchasing an additional 812 shares in the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 133.5% in 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 buying an additional 1,879 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Point72 Hong Kong Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in the fourth quarter worth about $57,000. 69.14% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Levi Strauss & Co.

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.