Wall Street Zen Downgrades Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) to Buy

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen downgraded Levi Strauss from “strong buy” to “buy,” while the broader analyst consensus remains “Moderate Buy,” with 12 Buy ratings and 4 Holds and an average price target of $27.43.
• Levi Strauss reported quarterly EPS of $0.28, beating the $0.24 consensus estimate, while revenue reached $1.56 billion—up 8% year over year and above forecasts.
• Insiders sold 1.30 million shares worth approximately $30.2 million during the last quarter, while hedge funds and other institutional investors own 69.14% of the company.

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI - Get Free Report) was downgraded by analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note issued to investors on Saturday.

LEVI has been the topic of several other research reports. Raymond James Financial lifted their price target on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from $25.00 to $27.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, July 2nd. UBS Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $34.00 target price on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from $23.00 to $25.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, June 29th. BTIG Research reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $27.00 price target on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reiterated an "equal weight" rating and set a $25.00 price target on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $27.43.

Levi Strauss & Co. Trading Up 0.4%

LEVI opened at $24.40 on Friday. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $24.09 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $22.10. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.06, a PEG ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 1.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46, a current ratio of 1.60 and a quick ratio of 0.98. Levi Strauss & Co. has a one year low of $17.72 and a one year high of $25.70.

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 8th. The blue-jean maker reported $0.28 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.24 by $0.04. Levi Strauss & Co. had a return on equity of 25.79% and a net margin of 9.66%.The firm had revenue of $1.56 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.52 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.22 EPS. The business's quarterly revenue was up 8.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Levi Strauss & Co. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.460-1.520 EPS. Analysts predict that Levi Strauss & Co. will post 1.54 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Levi Strauss & Co.

In other news, major shareholder Robert D. Haas sold 488,851 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $24.11, for a total value of $11,786,197.61. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Harmit J. Singh sold 98,144 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $24.22, for a total transaction of $2,377,047.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 98,747 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,391,652.34. The trade was a 49.85% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 1,296,009 shares of company stock worth $30,227,170. Corporate insiders own 1.08% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Levi Strauss & Co.

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in LEVI. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC purchased a new position in Levi Strauss & Co. during the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. US Bancorp DE increased its holdings in Levi Strauss & Co. by 260.5% during the third quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 1,121 shares of the blue-jean maker's stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 810 shares during the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its stake in shares of 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 $39,000. Finally, MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its holdings in Levi Strauss & Co. by 133.5% in the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 3,286 shares of the blue-jean maker's stock worth $51,000 after purchasing an additional 1,879 shares during the period. 69.14% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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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