Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) Major Shareholder Robert Haas Sells 3,182 Shares

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) major shareholder Robert Haas sold 3,182 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $24.00, for a total value of $76,368.00. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through 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

LEVI stock traded up $1.29 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $24.24. 4,002,146 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,210,206. The company has a market cap of $9.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.44, a P/E/G ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 1.34. The company has a current ratio of 1.58, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $22.13 and a 200 day simple moving average of $21.31. 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 released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 7th. The blue-jean maker reported $0.42 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.37 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $1.74 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.65 billion. Levi Strauss & Co. had a return on equity of 25.35% and a net margin of 9.52%.The company’s revenue was up 14.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.38 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Levi Strauss & Co. will post 1.51 earnings per share for the current year.

Levi Strauss & Co. Announces Dividend

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the stock. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $28.00 price objective on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $28.00 price objective on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, April 11th. BTIG Research reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $27.00 price objective on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded Levi Strauss & Co. from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $26.79.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Levi Strauss & Co.

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 181.6% during the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 151,645 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock worth $2,364,000 after purchasing an additional 97,800 shares during the last quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. during the 1st quarter worth about $224,000. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 133.5% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 3,286 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock valued at $51,000 after buying an additional 1,879 shares during the last quarter. Caxton Associates LLP acquired a new position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. during the first quarter valued at about $241,000. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 3.4% during the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 1,597,687 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock valued at $24,908,000 after buying an additional 52,332 shares during the last quarter. 69.14% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.