Robert Haas Sells 192,451 Shares of Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) Stock

Key Points

• Levi Strauss major shareholder Robert Haas sold 192,451 shares on May 26 at an average price of $22.68, totaling about $4.36 million. The sale was made under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.
• Levi Strauss recently beat quarterly earnings expectations, reporting EPS of $0.42 versus the $0.37 consensus and revenue of $1.74 billion versus $1.65 billion expected. Revenue rose 14.1% year over year.
• Analysts remain generally positive on the stock, with 13 Buy ratings and 3 Hold ratings and a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating. The average price target stands at $26.79.

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI - Get Free Report) major shareholder Robert Haas sold 192,451 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $22.68, for a total transaction of $4,364,788.68. The transaction was disclosed in a 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 shares are required to disclose their transactions with the SEC.

Levi Strauss & Co. Price Performance

NYSE:LEVI traded up $0.52 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $23.90. 772,810 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,702,766. 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 has a market capitalization of $9.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.74 and a beta of 1.35. Levi Strauss & Co. has a 12 month low of $16.50 and a 12 month high of $24.82. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $21.09 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $21.14.

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 7th. The blue-jean maker reported $0.42 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.37 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $1.74 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.65 billion. Levi Strauss & Co. had a net margin of 9.52% and a return on equity of 25.35%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 14.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.38 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Levi Strauss & Co. will post 1.5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Levi Strauss & Co. Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, May 6th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 22nd were given a $0.14 dividend. This represents a $0.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, April 22nd. Levi Strauss & Co.'s dividend payout ratio is 35.67%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. US Bancorp DE increased its holdings in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 260.5% during the 3rd 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 during the period. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. during the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. boosted its position 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 valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 833 shares in the last quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in Levi Strauss & Co. in the fourth quarter valued at about $39,000. Finally, MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised 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 acquiring an additional 1,879 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 69.14% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently commented on LEVI shares. BTIG Research restated a "buy" rating and issued a $27.00 price target on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $25.00 target price for the company. UBS Group raised their price target on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from $33.00 to $34.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Saturday, April 11th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC restated a "buy" rating and set a $28.00 price target on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $26.79.

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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