Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) has received an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the twelve ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and seven have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price target among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $21.27.

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the stock. UBS Group cut their price target on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from $26.00 to $25.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on Levi Strauss & Co. from $18.00 to $17.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Guggenheim boosted their price target on Levi Strauss & Co. from $20.00 to $22.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Citigroup reduced their price objective on Levi Strauss & Co. from $21.00 to $19.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 17th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on Levi Strauss & Co. from $20.00 to $17.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 30th.

Insider Transactions at Levi Strauss & Co.

In related news, Director David A. Friedman sold 4,166 shares of Levi Strauss & Co. stock in a transaction on Monday, January 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $18.00, for a total value of $74,988.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 104,178 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,875,204. This trade represents a 3.85 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 1.25% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Levi Strauss & Co.

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of LEVI. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. during the 4th quarter worth about $39,000. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $57,000. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $82,000. Matrix Trust Co lifted its position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 678.9% in the fourth quarter. Matrix Trust Co now owns 5,507 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock valued at $95,000 after acquiring an additional 4,800 shares in the last quarter. Finally, R Squared Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in the fourth quarter worth approximately $105,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 69.14% of the company’s stock.

Levi Strauss & Co. Stock Up 2.0 %

Shares of LEVI stock opened at $16.70 on Friday. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $17.34 and its 200 day moving average price is $17.77. Levi Strauss & Co. has a 1-year low of $15.42 and a 1-year high of $24.34. The company has a market cap of $6.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 1.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a current ratio of 1.42 and a quick ratio of 0.80.

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The blue-jean maker reported $0.50 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.48 by $0.02. Levi Strauss & Co. had a return on equity of 25.88% and a net margin of 3.32%. On average, research analysts expect that Levi Strauss & Co. will post 1.27 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Levi Strauss & Co. Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 28th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 12th were issued a $0.13 dividend. This represents a $0.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.11%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 12th. Levi Strauss & Co.’s payout ratio is currently 100.00%.

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.