Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) Major Shareholder Robert Haas Sells 5,832 Shares

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) major shareholder Robert Haas sold 5,832 shares of Levi Strauss & Co. stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $24.00, for a total transaction of $139,968.00. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 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

Shares of Levi Strauss & Co. stock traded up $0.52 on Thursday, hitting $23.90. 772,810 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,702,766. The stock 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. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a current ratio of 1.58. Levi Strauss & Co. has a 52 week low of $16.50 and a 52 week high of $24.82. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $21.09 and a 200 day simple moving average of $21.14.

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 7th. The blue-jean maker reported $0.42 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.37 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $1.74 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.65 billion. Levi Strauss & Co. had a net margin of 9.52% and a return on equity of 25.35%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 14.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.38 earnings per share. Research analysts expect that Levi Strauss & Co. will post 1.5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Levi Strauss & Co. Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, May 6th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 22nd were given a dividend of $0.14 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, April 22nd. This represents a $0.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. Levi Strauss & Co.’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 35.67%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Wells Fargo & Company MN increased its position in Levi Strauss & Co. by 0.4% during the fourth quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 132,304 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock valued at $2,744,000 after acquiring an additional 465 shares during the last quarter. Figure 8 Investment Strategies LLC increased its position in Levi Strauss & Co. by 1.2% during the fourth quarter. Figure 8 Investment Strategies LLC now owns 50,939 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock valued at $1,056,000 after acquiring an additional 583 shares during the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp increased its position in Levi Strauss & Co. by 10.3% during the third quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 6,553 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock valued at $151,000 after acquiring an additional 614 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its position in Levi Strauss & Co. by 2.4% during the fourth quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 26,732 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock valued at $575,000 after acquiring an additional 638 shares during the last quarter. Finally, US Bancorp DE increased its position 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 acquiring an additional 810 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 69.14% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

LEVI has been the topic of several research reports. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, April 11th. Needham & Company LLC restated a “buy” rating and issued a $28.00 price target on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating and issued a $28.00 price target on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research report on Wednesday. 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 price target on the stock. Finally, Raymond James Financial restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $25.00 price target on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Thirteen 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 has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $26.79.

About Levi Strauss & Co.

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.