Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) Given Consensus Rating of "Moderate Buy" by Analysts

Shares of Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI - Get Free Report) have received a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from the twelve brokerages that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and seven have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $21.27.

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the stock. UBS Group decreased 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 research note on Monday, February 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of 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 target on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from $18.00 to $17.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Telsey Advisory Group dropped their target price on Levi Strauss & Co. from $26.00 to $23.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, Barclays cut their price objective on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from $24.00 to $22.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 30th.

Levi Strauss & Co. Price Performance

Shares of LEVI traded up $0.75 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $16.34. 820,364 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,213,358. Levi Strauss & Co. has a 1 year low of $15.42 and a 1 year high of $24.34. The company has a market cap of $6.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 1.16. 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 firm has a fifty day moving average price of $17.39 and a 200 day moving average price of $17.80.

Remove Ads

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The blue-jean maker reported $0.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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%. As a group, equities research 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 declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 28th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 12th were given a dividend of $0.13 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 12th. This represents a $0.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.18%. Levi Strauss & Co.'s dividend payout ratio is currently 100.00%.

Insider Transactions at Levi Strauss & Co.

In related news, Director David A. Friedman sold 4,166 shares of the 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 completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 100,012 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,844,221.28. This represents a 4.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Corporate insiders own 1.25% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. during the 4th quarter valued at about $39,000. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd purchased a new position in Levi Strauss & Co. during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $57,000. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. during the 4th quarter worth about $82,000. Matrix Trust Co raised its holdings in Levi Strauss & Co. by 678.9% in the 4th quarter. Matrix Trust Co now owns 5,507 shares of the blue-jean maker's stock worth $95,000 after acquiring an additional 4,800 shares during the period. Finally, R Squared Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. during the fourth quarter worth approximately $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.