Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) Major Shareholder Robert Haas Sells 192,451 Shares

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) major shareholder Robert Haas sold 192,451 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $22.68, for a total transaction of $4,364,788.68. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Large shareholders that own 10% or more of a company’s stock are required to disclose their transactions with the SEC.

Levi Strauss & Co. Price Performance

Shares of NYSE LEVI traded up $0.52 during trading on Thursday, reaching $23.90. The company had a trading volume of 772,810 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,702,766. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a current ratio of 1.58. The stock has a market cap of $9.19 billion, a PE ratio of 15.21, a PEG ratio of 1.74 and a beta of 1.35. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $21.09 and its 200-day moving average price is $21.14. Levi Strauss & Co. has a 52 week low of $16.50 and a 52 week high of $24.82.

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 7th. The blue-jean maker reported $0.42 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.37 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $1.74 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.65 billion. Levi Strauss & Co. had a net margin of 9.52% and a return on equity of 25.35%. Levi Strauss & Co.’s revenue for the quarter was up 14.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.38 earnings per share. Analysts expect that Levi Strauss & Co. will post 1.5 earnings per share for the current year.

Levi Strauss & Co. Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, May 6th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 22nd were paid a $0.14 dividend. This represents a $0.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, April 22nd. Levi Strauss & Co.’s dividend payout ratio is presently 35.67%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on LEVI shares. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $27.00 price target on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from $33.00 to $34.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $27.00 price target on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a report on Wednesday, April 1st. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, April 11th. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Levi Strauss & Co. has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $26.79.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its position in Levi Strauss & Co. by 181.6% during the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 151,645 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock worth $2,364,000 after acquiring an additional 97,800 shares in the last quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. bought a new position in Levi Strauss & Co. during the first quarter worth about $224,000. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its position in Levi Strauss & Co. by 133.5% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 3,286 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock worth $51,000 after acquiring an additional 1,879 shares during the period. Caxton Associates LLP acquired a new stake in Levi Strauss & Co. during the first quarter worth about $241,000. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC grew its stake in Levi Strauss & Co. by 3.4% during the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 1,597,687 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock worth $24,908,000 after buying an additional 52,332 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 69.14% of the company’s stock.

Levi Strauss & Co. Company Profile

Levi Strauss & Co is a global apparel company best known for its denim jeans and casual wear. Founded in 1853 in San Francisco by Bavarian immigrant Levi Strauss, the company pioneered the modern blue jean with the introduction of rivet-reinforced work pants. Over its more than 160-year history, Levi Strauss has evolved into a lifestyle brand, offering a broad portfolio that includes denim for men, women and children, as well as tops, outerwear, footwear and accessories.

The company’s flagship label, Levi’s®, is recognized worldwide for its iconic styles such as the 501® Original Fit Jeans, while additional brands, including Dockers®, Target core metric, and Denizen® by Levi’s, cater to diverse price points and consumer segments.