Morgan Stanley Has Lowered Expectations for Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) Stock Price

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI - Free Report) had its target price trimmed by Morgan Stanley from $18.00 to $17.00 in a report published on Thursday morning,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an equal weight rating on the blue-jean maker's stock.

LEVI has been the subject of several other research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from $21.00 to $19.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 24th. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their target price on Levi Strauss & Co. from $28.00 to $25.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 3rd. TD Cowen lowered 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 report on Thursday, October 3rd. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $26.00 target price on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a report on Wednesday, January 22nd. Finally, Barclays started coverage on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $24.00 target price for the company. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $21.27.

Levi Strauss & Co. Stock Performance

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

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The blue-jean maker reported $0.50 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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, research analysts expect that Levi Strauss & Co. will post 1.27 EPS for the current year.

Levi Strauss & Co. Announces Dividend

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

Insider Activity

In related news, Director David A. Friedman sold 4,166 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $18.00, for a total value of $74,988.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 104,178 shares in the company, valued at $1,875,204. The trade was a 3.85 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Insiders own 3.14% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Levi Strauss & Co.

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in the third quarter worth approximately $27,000. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. bought a new position in Levi Strauss & Co. in the 4th quarter worth $39,000. Quarry LP bought a new stake in Levi Strauss & Co. during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $56,000. Matrix Trust Co lifted its holdings in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 678.9% in 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 in the last quarter. Finally, R Squared Ltd bought a new position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. during the fourth quarter worth $105,000. 69.14% of the stock is currently owned by 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.