Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) Sees Significant Growth in Short Interest

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest in October. As of October 15th, there was short interest totalling 6,700,000 shares, an increase of 12.8% from the September 30th total of 5,940,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 1,890,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.5 days.

Levi Strauss & Co. Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:LEVI traded down $0.32 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $17.09. 2,759,357 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,265,240. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $19.31 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $20.21. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 1.14. The company has a quick ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 1.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. Levi Strauss & Co. has a 12 month low of $13.22 and a 12 month high of $24.34.

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 2nd. The blue-jean maker reported $0.33 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.31 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $1.52 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.55 billion. Levi Strauss & Co. had a net margin of 2.52% and a return on equity of 24.43%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up .4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.28 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts expect that Levi Strauss & Co. will post 1.23 earnings per share for the current year.

Levi Strauss & Co. Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, November 14th. Investors of record on Tuesday, October 29th will be given a $0.13 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, October 29th. This represents a $0.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.04%. Levi Strauss & Co.’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 148.57%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Levi Strauss & Co.

In other Levi Strauss & Co. news, Director David A. Friedman sold 25,002 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, September 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $20.00, for a total transaction of $500,040.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 229,176 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,583,520. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other Levi Strauss & Co. news, Director David A. Friedman sold 4,166 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $19.15, for a total value of $79,778.90. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 154,178 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,952,508.70. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director David A. Friedman sold 25,002 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $20.00, for a total value of $500,040.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 229,176 shares in the company, valued at $4,583,520. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 3.14% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Levi Strauss & Co.

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. bought a new position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. during the 3rd quarter valued at about $27,000. 272 Capital LP purchased a new stake in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in the 2nd quarter valued at $35,000. Quarry LP bought a new position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. during the 2nd quarter valued at $56,000. Headlands Technologies LLC purchased a new position in Levi Strauss & Co. in the 2nd quarter worth $135,000. Finally, nVerses Capital LLC purchased a new position in Levi Strauss & Co. in the 2nd quarter worth $195,000. Institutional investors own 69.14% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have weighed in on LEVI shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from $20.00 to $21.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 3rd. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $26.00 price objective on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. TD Cowen decreased their target price on Levi Strauss & Co. from $25.00 to $23.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, October 3rd. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price target on Levi Strauss & Co. from $28.00 to $25.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, October 3rd. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $22.75.

Levi Strauss & Co. Company Profile

Levi Strauss & Co designs, markets, and sells apparels and related accessories for men, women, and children worldwide. The company offers jeans, casual and dress pants, activewears, tops, shorts, skirts, dresses, jumpsuits, shirts, sweaters, jackets, footwear, and related accessories under the Levi's, Dockers, Signature by Levi Strauss & Co, Denizen, and Beyond Yoga brands.