Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) Major Shareholder Sells $139,968.00 in Stock

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) major shareholder Robert Haas sold 5,832 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $24.00, for a total transaction of $139,968.00. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Major shareholders that own 10% or more of a company’s stock are required to disclose their sales and purchases with the SEC.

Levi Strauss & Co. Price Performance

Shares of NYSE LEVI opened at $23.24 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $8.94 billion, a PE ratio of 14.80, a PEG ratio of 1.75 and a beta of 1.35. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $21.28 and a 200 day moving average of $21.17. 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 one year low of $16.50 and a one year high of $24.82.

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 7th. The blue-jean maker reported $0.42 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.37 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $1.74 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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 revenue was up 14.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.38 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Levi Strauss & Co. will post 1.5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Levi Strauss & Co. Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, May 6th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 22nd were issued a $0.14 dividend. This represents a $0.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, April 22nd. Levi Strauss & Co.’s payout ratio is presently 35.67%.

Key Stories Impacting Levi Strauss & Co.

Here are the key news stories impacting Levi Strauss & Co. this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts continue to rate Levi Strauss as a “Moderate Buy”, suggesting Wall Street still sees upside potential, with a consensus target price above the current share price. Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) Given Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts
• Positive Sentiment: Recent commentary highlighted Levi Strauss’ direct-to-consumer growth as a key driver of revenue expansion, reinforcing the company’s fundamental momentum. Levi Strauss Gains as DTC Continues to Fuel Revenue Growth
• Neutral Sentiment: Levi Strauss recently reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with earnings and revenue both topping estimates, which continues to support the stock’s longer-term valuation.
• Negative Sentiment: Major shareholder Robert D. Haas sold 192,451 shares in a pre-arranged transaction, a sizable insider sale that can dampen investor sentiment. SEC filing for Robert D. Haas sale
• Negative Sentiment: Additional insider selling by Peter Haas Jr. Family Fund and Margaret E. Haas added to concerns about insider confidence, even though the trades were made under 10b5-1 plans. SEC filing for Peter Haas Jr. Family Fund sale SEC filing for Margaret E. Haas sale

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

LEVI has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Needham & Company LLC reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $28.00 price target on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $28.00 target price on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research note on Wednesday. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $27.00 target price on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research note on Wednesday, April 1st. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, Raymond James Financial reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $25.00 target price on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Levi Strauss & Co. has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $26.79.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Levi Strauss & Co.

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in LEVI. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its stake in Levi Strauss & Co. by 462.4% during the 1st quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 4,839,861 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock worth $89,489,000 after purchasing an additional 3,979,223 shares during the last quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. boosted its stake in Levi Strauss & Co. by 123,970.4% during the 2nd quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 3,163,649 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock worth $58,496,000 after purchasing an additional 3,166,203 shares during the last quarter. GW&K Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Levi Strauss & Co. during the 3rd quarter worth $39,322,000. Swedbank AB acquired a new stake in Levi Strauss & Co. during the 1st quarter worth $24,799,000. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its stake in Levi Strauss & Co. by 44.0% during the 4th quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 4,243,680 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock worth $88,014,000 after purchasing an additional 1,296,474 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 69.14% of the company’s stock.

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.