Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) Sees Large Volume Increase on Earnings Beat

Key Points

• Levi Strauss beat second-quarter expectations, reporting EPS of $0.28 versus the $0.24 consensus and revenue of $1.56 billion versus $1.52 billion expected. Revenue rose 8% year over year, helping drive strong trading interest in the stock.
• The company raised its FY 2026 guidance and increased its quarterly dividend to $0.16 per share from $0.14. The higher payout signals confidence in cash generation and ongoing business momentum.
• Despite the beat, investors remain cautious because the company’s forward outlook was seen as conservative and management flagged tariff headwinds. Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive, with multiple firms reiterating Buy ratings and lifting price targets.

Shares of Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI - Get Free Report) saw strong trading volume on Thursday following a better than expected earnings announcement. Approximately 1,667,831 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 38% from the previous session's volume of 2,695,871 shares.The stock last traded at $24.4490 and had previously closed at $24.37.

The blue-jean maker reported $0.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.24 by $0.04. Levi Strauss & Co. had a return on equity of 25.35% and a net margin of 9.52%.The business had revenue of $1.56 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.52 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.22 earnings per share. Levi Strauss & Co.'s revenue for the quarter was up 8.0% on a year-over-year basis. Levi Strauss & Co. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.460-1.520 EPS.

Levi Strauss & Co. Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 22nd will be paid a $0.16 dividend. This is a positive change from Levi Strauss & Co.'s previous quarterly dividend of $0.14. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 22nd. This represents a $0.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.6%. Levi Strauss & Co.'s dividend payout ratio is currently 35.67%.

More Levi Strauss & Co. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Levi Strauss topped Q2 expectations with EPS of $0.28 versus $0.24 expected and revenue of $1.56 billion versus $1.52 billion expected, showing 8% year-over-year sales growth. Levi Strauss & Co. Reports Second-Quarter Results
• Positive Sentiment: The company raised full-year guidance again and lifted its quarterly dividend to $0.16 per share, signaling confidence in cash generation and business momentum. Levi Strauss Raises Guidance Again
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst commentary remained supportive, with BTIG and Needham both reaffirming Buy ratings and targeting upside from current levels. Benzinga report on BTIG and Needham ratings
• Neutral Sentiment: Levi Strauss continues to shift toward a direct-to-consumer, broader apparel model, including store and distribution changes, which may improve margins over time but adds near-term execution questions. Levi Strauss & Co raises outlook as Q2 results surpass forecasts
• Negative Sentiment: Investors appear disappointed that the company’s forward earnings outlook was more conservative than hoped, even after the Q2 beat, which is pressuring the shares. Levi’s stock falls 5% despite Q2 beat as full-year earnings guidance disappoints
• Negative Sentiment: Management also flagged tariff headwinds, keeping investors cautious about profit margins and the pace of earnings growth. Wall Street Breakfast Podcast: Levi's Frayed Forecast

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently commented on LEVI shares. Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from $23.00 to $25.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Monday, June 29th. Raymond James Financial upped their price target on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from $25.00 to $27.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 2nd. BTIG Research reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $27.00 price objective on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research note on Thursday. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $28.00 price objective on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a report on Thursday. Finally, UBS Group boosted their target price 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. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $27.21.

Insider Buying and Selling at Levi Strauss & Co.

In other Levi Strauss & Co. news, EVP Harmit J. Singh sold 121,767 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $23.52, for a total value of $2,863,959.84. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 148,757 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,498,764.64. This trade represents a 45.01% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, major shareholder Margaret E. Haas sold 47,721 shares of Levi Strauss & Co. stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $24.01, for a total value of $1,145,781.21. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 1,468,570 shares of company stock worth $34,136,152 over the last three months. 1.08% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Wells Fargo & Company MN raised its holdings in Levi Strauss & Co. by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 132,304 shares of the blue-jean maker's stock worth $2,744,000 after purchasing an additional 465 shares in the last quarter. Figure 8 Investment Strategies LLC boosted its stake in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. Figure 8 Investment Strategies LLC now owns 50,939 shares of the blue-jean maker's stock valued at $1,056,000 after purchasing an additional 583 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 2.4% during the fourth quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 26,732 shares of the blue-jean maker's stock valued at $575,000 after buying an additional 638 shares during the period. US Bancorp DE raised its stake in Levi Strauss & Co. by 260.5% in the third quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 1,121 shares of the blue-jean maker's stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 810 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its stake in Levi Strauss & Co. by 140.7% in the second quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 1,425 shares of the blue-jean maker's stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 833 shares in the last quarter. 69.14% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Levi Strauss & Co. Stock Up 0.8%

The company has a quick ratio of 0.97, a current ratio of 1.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $23.05 and its 200 day simple moving average is $21.61. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.45 billion, a PE ratio of 15.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 1.33.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.