Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) Price Target Lowered to $22.00 at Barclays

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI - Free Report) had its price target cut by Barclays from $24.00 to $22.00 in a report issued on Thursday,Benzinga reports. They currently have an overweight rating on the blue-jean maker's stock.

Several other equities analysts also recently weighed in on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on Levi Strauss & Co. from $21.00 to $19.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 24th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on Levi Strauss & Co. from $18.00 to $17.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday. TD Cowen cut their target price on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from $25.00 to $23.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, October 3rd. Citigroup decreased their price objective on Levi Strauss & Co. from $21.00 to $19.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 17th. Finally, Guggenheim restated a "buy" rating and set a $23.00 target price on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research note on Friday, January 24th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $21.27.

Levi Strauss & Co. Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:LEVI traded down $0.38 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $18.65. 2,906,792 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,231,940. The stock has a market cap of $7.40 billion, a PE ratio of 35.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.16. Levi Strauss & Co. has a one year low of $15.62 and a one year high of $24.34. The company has a current ratio of 1.42, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. The business's fifty day moving average is $17.61 and its two-hundred day moving average is $18.17.

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The blue-jean maker reported $0.50 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.48 by $0.02. Levi Strauss & Co. had a return on equity of 25.88% and a net margin of 3.32%. As a group, analysts predict that Levi Strauss & Co. will post 1.27 earnings per share for the current year.

Levi Strauss & Co. Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 28th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 12th will be issued a $0.13 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, February 12th. This represents a $0.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.79%. Levi Strauss & Co.'s payout ratio is currently 100.00%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director David A. Friedman sold 4,166 shares of Levi Strauss & Co. stock in a transaction on 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 directly owns 104,178 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,875,204. The trade was a 3.85 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 3.14% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Levi Strauss & Co.

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of LEVI. Hunter Perkins Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 3.7% in the 3rd quarter. Hunter Perkins Capital Management LLC now owns 21,690 shares of the blue-jean maker's stock valued at $473,000 after purchasing an additional 765 shares during the last quarter. KBC Group NV increased its holdings in Levi Strauss & Co. by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 114,442 shares of the blue-jean maker's stock valued at $1,980,000 after buying an additional 892 shares during the last quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in Levi Strauss & Co. in the third quarter valued at $27,000. nVerses Capital LLC lifted its holdings in Levi Strauss & Co. by 17.8% during the 3rd quarter. nVerses Capital LLC now owns 11,900 shares of the blue-jean maker's stock worth $259,000 after buying an additional 1,800 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. during the 4th quarter worth about $39,000. 69.14% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.