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

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) was downgraded by investment analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report released on Saturday, Wall Street Zen reports.

Other analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $28.00 price objective on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Wells Fargo & Company restated an “equal weight” rating and set a $25.00 target price on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th. Raymond James Financial upped their target price on Levi Strauss & Co. from $25.00 to $27.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 2nd. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research note on Wednesday, September 23rd. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Levi Strauss & Co. currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $27.25.

Levi Strauss & Co. Stock Down 0.1%

Shares of Levi Strauss & Co. stock opened at $19.86 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.98, a current ratio of 1.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46. The company has a market cap of $7.64 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.26, a PEG ratio of 1.31 and a beta of 1.32. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $21.61 and its 200-day moving average price is $22.10. Levi Strauss & Co. has a 52-week low of $17.72 and a 52-week high of $25.70.

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, July 8th. The blue-jean maker reported $0.28 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.24 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $1.56 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.52 billion. Levi Strauss & Co. had a net margin of 9.66% and a return on equity of 25.79%. Levi Strauss & Co.’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.22 earnings per share. Levi Strauss & Co. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.460-1.520 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Levi Strauss & Co. will post 1.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Levi Strauss & Co.

In related news, EVP Harmit Singh sold 98,144 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $24.22, for a total value of $2,377,047.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 98,747 shares in the company, valued at $2,391,652.34. This trade represents a 49.85% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 1.08% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Nykredit A S acquired a new stake in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. during the second quarter worth about $36,000. Essential Partners LLC boosted its position in Levi Strauss & Co. by 42.1% in the second quarter. Essential Partners LLC now owns 1,795 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock valued at $45,000 after buying an additional 532 shares during the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd increased its holdings in Levi Strauss & Co. by 417,900.0% in the 4th quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 4,180 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock worth $87,000 after buying an additional 4,179 shares during the period. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC acquired a new position in Levi Strauss & Co. in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $127,000. Finally, Vise Technologies Inc. purchased a new position in Levi Strauss & Co. during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $205,000. 69.14% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Levi Strauss & Co. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Healthy denim demand may support the third quarter. Jefferies expects a solid quarter and said full-year profit guidance could move modestly higher, although revenue guidance may be reiterated because of persistent inflation. Jefferies expects a solid third quarter for Levi Strauss
• Positive Sentiment: BTIG reaffirmed its “Buy” rating. The bullish stance provides some support ahead of the earnings release, while Needham reportedly viewed Levi’s incoming finance chief favorably. BTIG reaffirms Buy rating
• Positive Sentiment: Levi is strengthening its finance organization. Skechers CFO John Vandemore is scheduled to become Levi’s CFO and executive vice president on November 1, potentially bringing additional operating and financial-management expertise. Skechers CFO joins Levi’s
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are focused on the upcoming third-quarter report. Wall Street forecasts and key operating metrics for the quarter ended August 2026 will shape expectations for revenue, margins and the company’s full-year outlook. Levi Strauss third-quarter earnings forecasts
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts are trimming valuation expectations ahead of earnings. Citigroup lowered its expectations for LEVI’s stock price, while other reports cited reduced price targets. The cuts signal concern about inflation, the revenue outlook or limited upside despite continued denim demand. Citigroup lowers expectations for Levi Strauss
• Negative Sentiment: The CFO transition creates near-term uncertainty. Levi is replacing its finance chief while also making broader strategic adjustments; reports that former creative executive Derek Lam is returning add to the perception of an ongoing management and strategy reshuffle. Levi’s management changes

Levi Strauss & Co. Company Profile

Levi Strauss & Co is an apparel company best known for its Levi’s brand of denim jeans and related clothing. Its product portfolio includes jeans, tops, bottoms, jackets, footwear, accessories and other casualwear for men, women and children.

Founded in 1853 and headquartered in San Francisco, California, the company also owns the Dockers, Beyond Yoga and Signature by Levi Strauss & Co brands. Levi Strauss & Co sells its products through company-operated stores, e-commerce platforms, wholesale partners and other distribution channels.

The company serves customers in North America, Europe, Asia and other international markets.