JPMorgan Chase & Co. Raises Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) Price Target to $32.00

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) had its price target increased by stock analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $30.00 to $32.00 in a report released on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an “overweight” rating on the blue-jean maker’s stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.‘s price target indicates a potential upside of 30.55% from the company’s current price.

LEVI has been the subject of a number of other reports. Weiss Ratings upgraded Levi Strauss & Co. from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $25.00 price target on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research note on Monday, May 4th. BTIG Research reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $27.00 price objective on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Citigroup increased their price objective on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from $23.00 to $25.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday. Finally, UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from $33.00 to $34.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $26.86.

Levi Strauss & Co. Stock Down 1.3%

NYSE LEVI opened at $24.51 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 1.58, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. Levi Strauss & Co. has a 1-year low of $17.72 and a 1-year high of $25.58. The company has a 50 day moving average of $22.87 and a 200-day moving average of $21.52. The company has a market cap of $9.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.61, a PEG ratio of 1.87 and a beta of 1.32.

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 7th. The blue-jean maker reported $0.42 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.37 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $1.74 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.65 billion. Levi Strauss & Co. had a return on equity of 25.35% and a net margin of 9.52%.The firm’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 company posted $0.38 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts expect that Levi Strauss & Co. will post 1.5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Levi Strauss & Co.

In other news, major shareholder Margaret E. Haas sold 47,721 shares of Levi Strauss & Co. stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $24.01, for a total value of $1,145,781.21. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, major shareholder Robert D. Haas sold 488,851 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $24.11, for a total value of $11,786,197.61. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 1,468,570 shares of company stock valued at $34,136,152. 1.08% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 181.6% in the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 151,645 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock valued at $2,364,000 after purchasing an additional 97,800 shares in the last quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. acquired a new position in Levi Strauss & Co. during the 1st quarter worth approximately $224,000. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its position in Levi Strauss & Co. by 133.5% during the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 3,286 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock worth $51,000 after purchasing an additional 1,879 shares in the last quarter. Caxton Associates LLP bought a new position in Levi Strauss & Co. in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $241,000. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lifted its stake in Levi Strauss & Co. by 3.4% in the 1st 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 valued at $24,908,000 after purchasing an additional 52,332 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 69.14% of the company’s stock.

About Levi Strauss & Co.

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.