Short Interest in Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) Declines By 17.2%

Key Points

• Short interest in Levi Strauss fell 17.2% to 10,216,069 shares as of March 13, representing about 2.6% of the stock and a short-interest ratio of 4.0 days based on average daily volume.
• Insiders sold 49,341 shares worth $1,068,909 in the last three months (notably SVP David Jedrzejek and EVP Jason Gowans); insiders now own 1.08% of shares while hedge funds and institutions hold 69.14%.
• Levi posted an EPS beat for the quarter ($0.41 vs. $0.39) on $1.77B revenue, set FY2026 guidance of $1.40–$1.46 EPS, and the stock currently yields about 3.1% with a consensus target near $26.69.

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI - Get Free Report) was the target of a large decline in short interest in March. As of March 13th, there was short interest totaling 10,216,069 shares, a decline of 17.2% from the February 26th total of 12,332,026 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 2,558,564 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 4.0 days. Approximately 2.6% of the shares of the stock are short sold.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, SVP David Jedrzejek sold 7,093 shares of Levi Strauss & Co. stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.38, for a total transaction of $151,648.34. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 98,193 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,099,366.34. The trade was a 6.74% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Jason Gowans sold 40,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $21.83, for a total transaction of $873,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 92,199 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,012,704.17. This trade represents a 30.26% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 49,341 shares of company stock worth $1,068,909 in the last three months. Insiders own 1.08% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Levi Strauss & Co.

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. US Bancorp DE boosted its holdings 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 valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 810 shares in the last quarter. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC bought a new position in Levi Strauss & Co. in the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its holdings in Levi Strauss & Co. by 140.7% in the 2nd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 1,425 shares of the blue-jean maker's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 833 shares in the last quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in the 4th quarter worth about $39,000. Finally, Hara Capital LLC boosted its stake in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 8,080.0% during the 2nd quarter. Hara Capital LLC now owns 2,045 shares of the blue-jean maker's stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 2,020 shares in the last quarter. 69.14% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Levi Strauss & Co. Stock Performance

Levi Strauss & Co. stock opened at $18.26 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.94, a current ratio of 1.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46. The company has a market capitalization of $7.13 billion, a PE ratio of 12.51, a P/E/G ratio of 1.45 and a beta of 1.28. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $20.41 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $21.26. Levi Strauss & Co. has a twelve month low of $12.17 and a twelve month high of $24.82.

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The blue-jean maker reported $0.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.39 by $0.02. Levi Strauss & Co. had a net margin of 9.20% and a return on equity of 25.08%. The business had revenue of $1.77 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.71 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.50 earnings per share. The company's revenue was up .9% on a year-over-year basis. Levi Strauss & Co. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.400-1.460 EPS. Research analysts expect that Levi Strauss & Co. will post 1.27 EPS for the current year.

Levi Strauss & Co. Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 25th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 10th were issued a dividend of $0.14 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 10th. This represents a $0.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.1%. Levi Strauss & Co.'s dividend payout ratio is currently 38.36%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on LEVI shares. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on Levi Strauss & Co. in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. They set a "buy" rating and a $25.00 price target on the stock. Wall Street Zen lowered Levi Strauss & Co. from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, January 31st. BTIG Research reissued a "buy" rating and set a $27.00 price objective on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a report on Thursday, January 29th. UBS Group restated a "buy" rating on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research report on Thursday, March 12th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $27.00 target price on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $26.69.

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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