Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) Hits New 1-Year High - Time to Buy?

Key Points

• Levi Strauss & Co. reached a new 52-week high, trading at $22.67, reflecting strong market interest with 947,180 shares traded.
• Analyst ratings are positive, with most giving a Buy or Overweight rating, and the average consensus price target is $23.45.
• The company reported strong quarterly earnings, exceeding expectations with $0.22 EPS and $1.45 billion in revenue, leading to a 6.4% increase in revenue compared to last year.

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI - Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week high during trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $22.61 and last traded at $22.67, with a volume of 947180 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $22.37.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

LEVI has been the subject of several research reports. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from $22.00 to $25.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, July 11th. Morgan Stanley upped 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 set a $24.00 price objective (up previously from $20.00) on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research note on Monday, July 14th. Citigroup boosted 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. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Levi Strauss & Co. from $18.00 to $23.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, July 11th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Levi Strauss & Co. has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $23.45.

Levi Strauss & Co. Trading Down 1.3%

The stock has a market cap of $8.80 billion, a PE ratio of 21.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a current ratio of 1.48. The company has a 50 day moving average of $20.70 and a two-hundred day moving average of $18.00.

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 10th. The blue-jean maker reported $0.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.13 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $1.45 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.37 billion. Levi Strauss & Co. had a return on equity of 28.75% and a net margin of 6.40%.Levi Strauss & Co.'s revenue for the quarter was up 6.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.16 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Levi Strauss & Co. will post 1.27 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Levi Strauss & Co. Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 8th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 24th were given a dividend of $0.14 per share. This is a boost from Levi Strauss & Co.'s previous quarterly dividend of $0.13. This represents a $0.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, July 24th. Levi Strauss & Co.'s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 54.90%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Levi Strauss & Co.

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Teacher Retirement System of Texas raised its holdings in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 87.6% during the first quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 53,967 shares of the blue-jean maker's stock valued at $841,000 after acquiring an additional 25,197 shares during the last quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd acquired a new position in Levi Strauss & Co. in the 1st quarter valued at $402,000. SG Americas Securities LLC lifted its holdings in Levi Strauss & Co. by 143.6% in the 1st quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 29,479 shares of the blue-jean maker's stock valued at $460,000 after purchasing an additional 17,376 shares in the last quarter. Nuveen LLC acquired a new stake in Levi Strauss & Co. during the 1st quarter worth $3,259,000. Finally, Two Sigma Investments LP grew its holdings in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 511.8% during the fourth quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 127,046 shares of the blue-jean maker's stock worth $2,198,000 after buying an additional 106,281 shares in the last quarter. 69.14% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.