Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) have been given an average rating of “Moderate Buy” by the twelve analysts that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and seven have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $21.27.

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Barclays cut their target price on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from $24.00 to $22.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Guggenheim upped their target price on Levi Strauss & Co. from $20.00 to $22.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on Levi Strauss & Co. from $20.00 to $17.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target 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. Finally, Morgan Stanley lowered 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 research report on Thursday, January 30th.

Levi Strauss & Co. Price Performance

LEVI stock opened at $16.22 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $6.42 billion, a PE ratio of 31.19, 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 stock has a 50-day moving average price of $17.88 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $18.15. Levi Strauss & Co. has a 12-month low of $15.62 and a 12-month high of $24.34.

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) last issued 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 return on equity of 25.88% and a net margin of 3.32%. As a group, research analysts predict 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 was paid on Friday, February 28th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 12th were issued a dividend of $0.13 per share. This represents a $0.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.21%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 12th. Levi Strauss & Co.’s dividend payout ratio is currently 100.00%.

Insider Activity

In other Levi Strauss & Co. news, Director David A. Friedman sold 4,166 shares of Levi Strauss & Co. stock in a transaction on Monday, January 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $18.00, for a total value of $74,988.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 104,178 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,875,204. The trade was a 3.85 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Company insiders own 3.14% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Levi Strauss & Co.

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of LEVI. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. during the 3rd quarter valued at about $27,000. Jensen Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in Levi Strauss & Co. by 36.1% in the third quarter. Jensen Investment Management Inc. now owns 200,970 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock valued at $4,381,000 after acquiring an additional 53,340 shares during the period. Versor Investments LP grew its holdings in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 155.6% during the third quarter. Versor Investments LP now owns 75,600 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock valued at $1,648,000 after purchasing an additional 46,023 shares during the last quarter. GSA Capital Partners LLP raised its position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 81.6% during the 3rd quarter. GSA Capital Partners LLP now owns 117,449 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock worth $2,560,000 after purchasing an additional 52,760 shares during the period. Finally, Aigen Investment Management LP bought a new stake in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $1,673,000. 69.14% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.