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

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) saw a large increase in short interest during the month of December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totaling 10,213,568 shares, an increase of 30.4% from the December 15th total of 7,832,354 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 1,638,688 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 6.2 days. Approximately 2.6% of the shares of the company are short sold. Approximately 2.6% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 1,638,688 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 6.2 days.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have weighed in on LEVI. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from $23.00 to $33.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, October 10th. UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from $32.00 to $33.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their price target on Levi Strauss & Co. from $19.00 to $20.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, October 10th. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Levi Strauss & Co. presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $26.46.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Levi Strauss & Co.

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. raised its holdings in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 123,970.4% in the 2nd quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 3,163,649 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock valued at $58,496,000 after acquiring an additional 3,166,203 shares in the last quarter. GW&K Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in the third quarter worth approximately $39,322,000. Oberweis Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in the third quarter worth approximately $21,052,000. Ameriprise Financial Inc. raised its stake in Levi Strauss & Co. by 83.4% in the second quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 1,958,271 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock valued at $36,208,000 after purchasing an additional 890,752 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hook Mill Capital Partners LP purchased a new stake in Levi Strauss & Co. in the second quarter valued at approximately $14,103,000. 69.14% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Levi Strauss & Co. Price Performance

NYSE:LEVI traded down $0.01 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $21.74. The stock had a trading volume of 1,703,356 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,502,752. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $21.44 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $21.41. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.30, a P/E/G ratio of 1.46 and a beta of 1.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a current ratio of 1.52 and a quick ratio of 0.87. Levi Strauss & Co. has a one year low of $12.17 and a one year high of $24.82.

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.