Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) Receives Buy Rating from Needham & Company LLC

Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed their buy rating on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a $28.00 target price on the blue-jean maker’s stock.

Other analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $25.00 price target for the company. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, January 31st. Raymond James Financial initiated coverage on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research note on Tuesday, December 23rd. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $26.00 price target for the company. BTIG Research reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $27.00 price target on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research note on Wednesday, April 1st. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. Twelve research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $26.77.

Levi Strauss & Co. Price Performance

NYSE LEVI opened at $21.83 on Wednesday. Levi Strauss & Co. has a 52 week low of $12.17 and a 52 week high of $24.82. The company has a current ratio of 1.55, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46. The stock has a market cap of $8.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.50 and a beta of 1.34. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $20.09 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $21.09.

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, April 7th. The blue-jean maker reported $0.42 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.37 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $1.74 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.65 billion. Levi Strauss & Co. had a net margin of 9.20% and a return on equity of 25.08%. Levi Strauss & Co.’s quarterly revenue was up 14.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.38 EPS. Analysts forecast that Levi Strauss & Co. will post 1.27 EPS for the current year.

Levi Strauss & Co. Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 6th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 22nd will be paid a dividend of $0.14 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 22nd. This represents a $0.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.6%. Levi Strauss & Co.’s dividend payout ratio is currently 38.36%.

Insider Activity at Levi Strauss & Co.

In related news, SVP David Jedrzejek sold 2,248 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $19.60, for a total transaction of $44,060.80. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 106,818 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,093,632.80. This represents a 2.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Jason Gowans sold 40,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.83, for a total transaction of $873,200.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 92,199 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,012,704.17. This represents a 30.26% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 49,341 shares of company stock valued at $1,068,909. Company insiders own 1.08% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Levi Strauss & Co.

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in LEVI. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its stake 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 valued at $2,364,000 after purchasing an additional 97,800 shares during the last quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Levi Strauss & Co. during the first quarter valued at approximately $224,000. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. lifted its stake 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 valued at $51,000 after purchasing an additional 1,879 shares during the last quarter. Caxton Associates LLP acquired a new stake in Levi Strauss & Co. during the first 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% 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 valued at $24,908,000 after purchasing an additional 52,332 shares during the last quarter. 69.14% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting Levi Strauss & Co.

Here are the key news stories impacting Levi Strauss & Co. this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat and raised full‑year guidance — Levi reported $1.74B revenue (vs. $1.65B est.) and $0.42 adj. EPS (vs. $0.37 est.), and lifted FY revenue and EPS ranges, which directly fueled the rally. Levi Strauss Q1 Results (Business Wire)
• Positive Sentiment: DTC momentum — Direct‑to‑consumer sales now account for ~52% of net revenue, supporting higher margins, better customer economics, and faster top‑line growth as Levi pushes a “DTC‑first” strategy. Levi DTC Sales Surpass Half of Total Revenue (PYMNTS)
• Positive Sentiment: Shareholder returns and capital actions — Company returned $214M in Q1 (including $54M dividends) and launched a $200M accelerated share repurchase, signaling cash generation and buyback support for the stock. MarketBeat coverage of Levi results & capital returns
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support — Firms have reaffirmed buys and some raised targets (example: UBS raised its price target to $34), adding upside to the consensus outlook and boosting investor conviction. Analyst notes (Benzinga)
• Neutral Sentiment: Options and trading activity — Unusually large call‑option volume shows elevated bullish positioning but could amplify intraday volatility rather than change fundamentals.
• Neutral Sentiment: Brand/marketing tailwinds — Pop culture exposure (a hit show boosting demand for a core 517 style) helped sell‑through in the quarter; useful for momentum but not a guaranteed long‑term driver. Levi style boost from TV show (Invezz)
• Neutral Sentiment: CFO transition announced — Longtime CFGO Harmit Singh plans to retire after a transition; company has started a search and Singh will stay through a handover, reducing immediate operational risk but creating leadership change. CFGO retirement announcement (Business Wire)
• Negative Sentiment: Macro and tariff risks — Management’s guidance assumes no significant deterioration from tariffs, inflation, supply‑chain issues or currency moves; rising input or transport costs and geopolitical shocks could pressure margins and growth. Macro/tariff risk discussion (Reuters)
• Negative Sentiment: Portion of growth tied to price increases — Management and some coverage note a meaningful part of recent revenue growth reflects higher prices versus pure volume gains, which could limit sustainability if consumers pull back. Pricing vs. volume discussion (CNBC)

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.