Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) Cut to “Hold” at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note released on Monday.

A number of other analysts have also commented on LEVI. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on Levi Strauss & Co. from $19.00 to $20.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, October 10th. BTIG Research began coverage on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a report on Tuesday, October 14th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $27.00 price objective for the company. Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from $26.00 to $27.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 1st. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from $22.00 to $23.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, September 29th. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $26.38.

Levi Strauss & Co. Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:LEVI opened at $21.12 on Monday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $21.21 and a 200 day simple moving average of $21.00. The company has a market cap of $8.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.89, a PEG ratio of 1.41 and a beta of 1.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a current ratio of 1.52 and a quick ratio of 0.87. Levi Strauss & Co. has a one year low of $12.17 and a one year high of $24.82.

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 9th. The blue-jean maker reported $0.34 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.31 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $1.54 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.50 billion. Levi Strauss & Co. had a return on equity of 27.92% and a net margin of 9.48%.Levi Strauss & Co.’s revenue was up 7.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.33 EPS. Levi Strauss & Co. has set its FY 2025 guidance at 1.270-1.320 EPS. Research analysts predict that Levi Strauss & Co. will post 1.27 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Levi Strauss & Co. Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, November 4th. Investors of record on Monday, October 20th were issued a $0.14 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, October 20th. This represents a $0.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.7%. Levi Strauss & Co.’s payout ratio is presently 36.84%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Levi Strauss & Co. news, major shareholder Margaret E. Haas sold 50,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, October 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $24.14, for a total transaction of $1,207,000.00. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, major shareholder E. Haas Jr. Family Fund Peter sold 150,000 shares of Levi Strauss & Co. stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, October 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $24.19, for a total value of $3,628,500.00. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 1.25% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Levi Strauss & Co.

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. US Bancorp DE increased its stake in Levi Strauss & Co. by 260.5% in the 3rd quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 1,121 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 810 shares during the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its holdings in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 140.7% in the second quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 1,425 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 833 shares in the last quarter. Hara Capital LLC grew its holdings in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 8,080.0% in the second quarter. Hara Capital LLC now owns 2,045 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 2,020 shares in the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased 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 acquiring an additional 1,879 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First Command Advisory Services Inc. bought a new stake in Levi Strauss & Co. during the second quarter worth $71,000. 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.