UBS Group Lowers Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) Price Target to $25.00

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI - Free Report) had its price target decreased by UBS Group from $26.00 to $25.00 in a research note issued to investors on Monday,Benzinga reports. UBS Group currently has a buy rating on the blue-jean maker's stock.

A number of other analysts also recently issued reports on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on Levi Strauss & Co. from $21.00 to $19.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 24th. Telsey Advisory Group dropped their price target on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from $26.00 to $23.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from $18.00 to $17.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Citigroup dropped their target price on Levi Strauss & Co. from $21.00 to $19.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 17th. Finally, Barclays reduced their price target on Levi Strauss & Co. from $24.00 to $22.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $21.27.

Levi Strauss & Co. Price Performance

Shares of LEVI traded down $0.12 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $19.08. 1,986,814 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,155,336. The stock has a market cap of $7.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.68, a PEG ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.17. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $17.70 and a 200-day moving average of $18.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a current ratio of 1.42. Levi Strauss & Co. has a 52 week low of $15.62 and a 52 week high of $24.34.

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The blue-jean maker reported $0.50 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.48 by $0.02. Levi Strauss & Co. had a net margin of 3.32% and a return on equity of 25.88%. On average, analysts forecast that Levi Strauss & Co. will post 1.27 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Levi Strauss & Co. Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 28th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 12th will be given a $0.13 dividend. This represents a $0.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.73%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, February 12th. Levi Strauss & Co.'s payout ratio is 100.00%.

Insider Activity at Levi Strauss & Co.

In other Levi Strauss & Co. news, Director David A. Friedman sold 4,166 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $18.00, for a total value of $74,988.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 104,178 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,875,204. This trade represents a 3.85 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders have sold a total of 16,664 shares of company stock valued at $301,785 over the last quarter. 3.14% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Levi Strauss & Co.

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of LEVI. Aigen Investment Management LP purchased a new position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in the third quarter worth $1,673,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in Levi Strauss & Co. by 16.2% during the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 794,408 shares of the blue-jean maker's stock worth $17,318,000 after acquiring an additional 110,993 shares during the period. XTX Topco Ltd purchased a new stake in Levi Strauss & Co. during the 3rd quarter valued at about $832,000. GSA Capital Partners LLP grew its stake in Levi Strauss & Co. by 81.6% during the 3rd quarter. GSA Capital Partners LLP now owns 117,449 shares of the blue-jean maker's stock valued at $2,560,000 after purchasing an additional 52,760 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Maverick Capital Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in the third quarter valued at about $1,222,000. 69.14% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Levi Strauss & Co.

Levi Strauss & Co engages in the design, marketing, and sale of apparel products. The company offers jeans, casual and dress pants, tops, shorts, skirts, jackets, footwear, and related accessories. It operates through the following geographical segments: Americas, Europe, and Asia. The company was founded by Levi Strauss in 1853 and is headquartered in San Francisco, CA.