Vanguard Group Inc. Purchases 342,009 Shares of Levi Strauss & Co. $LEVI

Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) by 3.8% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 9,320,747 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock after buying an additional 342,009 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc.’s holdings in Levi Strauss & Co. were worth $193,312,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. US Bancorp DE grew its stake in Levi Strauss & Co. by 260.5% during the 3rd quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 1,121 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 810 shares during the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its position in Levi Strauss & Co. by 140.7% during the 2nd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 1,425 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 833 shares in the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its holdings in Levi Strauss & Co. by 133.5% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 3,286 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock worth $51,000 after acquiring an additional 1,879 shares in the last quarter. LSV Asset Management acquired a new stake in Levi Strauss & Co. in the third quarter worth about $117,000. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC boosted its holdings in Levi Strauss & Co. by 17,721.6% in the second quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC now owns 6,594 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock worth $122,000 after acquiring an additional 6,557 shares in the last quarter. 69.14% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Levi Strauss & Co. news, EVP Jason Gowans sold 40,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.83, for a total transaction of $873,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 92,199 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,012,704.17. This trade represents a 30.26% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Harmit J. Singh sold 121,767 shares of the firm’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 transaction of $2,863,959.84. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 148,757 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,498,764.64. This represents a 45.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 310,705 shares of company stock valued at $7,159,229. 1.08% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Levi Strauss & Co. Stock Performance

LEVI opened at $22.66 on Monday. Levi Strauss & Co. has a 12-month low of $16.50 and a 12-month high of $24.82. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $8.71 billion, a PE ratio of 14.43, a P/E/G ratio of 1.71 and a beta of 1.35. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $20.59 and a two-hundred day moving average of $21.02.

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

Levi Strauss & Co. Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, May 6th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 22nd were given a dividend of $0.14 per share. 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 2.5%. Levi Strauss & Co.’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 35.67%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

LEVI has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on Levi Strauss & Co. in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $25.00 price target for the company. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $28.00 price objective on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. 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. UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from $33.00 to $34.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $27.00 price objective on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research report on Wednesday, April 1st. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $26.69.

Levi Strauss & Co. Profile

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.