Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) Hits New 1-Year Low - Here's Why

Shares of Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI - Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as low as $15.45 and last traded at $15.46, with a volume of 752627 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $15.98.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

LEVI has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on Levi Strauss & Co. from $21.00 to $19.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 24th. UBS Group cut their target price on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from $26.00 to $25.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Guggenheim increased their price target on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from $20.00 to $22.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from $18.00 to $17.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group lowered their target price on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from $26.00 to $23.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $21.27.

Levi Strauss & Co. Price Performance

The company has a 50-day moving average of $17.39 and a 200 day moving average of $17.80. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 1.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.47 billion, a PE ratio of 31.47, a PEG ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 1.16.

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Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The blue-jean maker reported $0.50 earnings per share (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%. Sell-side analysts predict that Levi Strauss & Co. will post 1.27 EPS for the current year.

Levi Strauss & Co. Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 28th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 12th were paid a $0.13 dividend. This represents a $0.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.18%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 12th. Levi Strauss & Co.'s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 100.00%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director David A. Friedman sold 4,166 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $18.44, for a total transaction of $76,821.04. Following the transaction, the director now owns 100,012 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,844,221.28. The trade was a 4.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 1.25% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Levi Strauss & Co.

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. during the 4th quarter worth approximately $39,000. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd purchased a new stake in Levi Strauss & Co. in the 4th quarter valued at about $57,000. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Levi Strauss & Co. in the fourth quarter valued at about $82,000. Matrix Trust Co boosted its stake in Levi Strauss & Co. by 678.9% during the fourth quarter. Matrix Trust Co now owns 5,507 shares of the blue-jean maker's stock worth $95,000 after buying an additional 4,800 shares during the period. Finally, R Squared Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. during the fourth quarter valued at about $105,000. 69.14% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Levi Strauss & Co. Company Profile

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.