Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) Short Interest Update

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest during the month of December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totalling 5,710,000 shares, an increase of 10.2% from the December 15th total of 5,180,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 1,830,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.1 days.

Insider Activity at Levi Strauss & Co.

In other news, Director David A. Friedman sold 8,332 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $18.00, for a total transaction of $149,976.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 108,344 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,950,192. This trade represents a 7.14 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 3.14% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Levi Strauss & Co.

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Brandes Investment Partners LP lifted its position in Levi Strauss & Co. by 1.8% in the second quarter. Brandes Investment Partners LP now owns 42,745 shares of the blue-jean maker's stock worth $824,000 after purchasing an additional 743 shares during the period. Hunter Perkins Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 3.7% during the third quarter. Hunter Perkins Capital Management LLC now owns 21,690 shares of the blue-jean maker's stock worth $473,000 after purchasing an additional 765 shares during the period. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. during the third quarter valued at approximately $27,000. 272 Capital LP purchased a new position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. during the second quarter valued at $35,000. Finally, nVerses Capital LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 17.8% during the third quarter. nVerses Capital LLC now owns 11,900 shares of the blue-jean maker's stock worth $259,000 after purchasing an additional 1,800 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 69.14% of the company's stock.

Levi Strauss & Co. Stock Down 1.2 %

NYSE:LEVI traded down $0.21 on Monday, reaching $17.37. The stock had a trading volume of 1,397,789 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,136,090. The company has a current ratio of 1.41, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. Levi Strauss & Co. has a 12-month low of $15.10 and a 12-month high of $24.34. The company has a 50-day moving average of $17.25 and a 200 day moving average of $18.22. The stock has a market cap of $6.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 45.70, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 1.16.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on LEVI shares. Citigroup lowered their target price on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from $21.00 to $19.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price target on Levi Strauss & Co. from $28.00 to $25.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, October 3rd. Barclays assumed coverage on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $24.00 price objective for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Levi Strauss & Co. from $20.00 to $21.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, October 3rd. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $26.00 target price on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $22.50.

Levi Strauss & Co. Company Profile

Levi Strauss & Co designs, markets, and sells apparels and related accessories for men, women, and children worldwide. The company offers jeans, casual and dress pants, activewears, tops, shorts, skirts, dresses, jumpsuits, shirts, sweaters, jackets, footwear, and related accessories under the Levi's, Dockers, Signature by Levi Strauss & Co, Denizen, and Beyond Yoga brands.