Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) EVP Harmit Singh Sells 121,767 Shares of Stock

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) EVP Harmit Singh sold 121,767 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $23.52, for a total value of $2,863,959.84. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 148,757 shares in the company, valued at $3,498,764.64. The trade was a 45.01% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link.

Levi Strauss & Co. Stock Performance

NYSE LEVI opened at $22.79 on Thursday. 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 business’s 50 day moving average is $20.52 and its two-hundred day moving average is $21.03. Levi Strauss & Co. has a 12-month low of $15.32 and a 12-month high of $24.82. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.52, a PEG ratio of 1.77 and a beta of 1.34.

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

Levi Strauss & Co. Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 6th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 22nd will be given a dividend of $0.14 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 22nd. This represents a $0.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.5%. Levi Strauss & Co.’s payout ratio is presently 35.67%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have issued reports on the company. UBS Group boosted their target price on Levi Strauss & Co. from $33.00 to $34.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Telsey Advisory Group reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $27.00 price target on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research note on Wednesday, April 1st. Needham & Company LLC reissued a “buy” rating and set a $28.00 price target on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. Weiss Ratings lowered Levi Strauss & Co. from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Levi Strauss & Co. from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, April 11th. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $26.77.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Levi Strauss & Co.

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of LEVI. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. boosted its stake in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 3,166,203 shares in the last quarter. GW&K Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $39,322,000. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 1,296,474 shares in the last quarter. Oberweis Asset Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Levi Strauss & Co. in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $21,052,000. Finally, Ameriprise Financial Inc. lifted its stake in Levi Strauss & Co. by 83.4% in the 2nd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 1,958,271 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock valued at $36,208,000 after buying an additional 890,752 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors 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.