Stock Traders Purchase Large Volume of Levi Strauss & Co. Call Options (NYSE:LEVI)

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) was the target of some unusual options trading activity on Wednesday. Stock traders acquired 5,873 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of approximately 93% compared to the average volume of 3,040 call options.

Insider Buying and Selling at Levi Strauss & Co.

In related news, EVP Jason Gowans sold 40,000 shares of Levi Strauss & Co. stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.83, for a total value of $873,200.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 92,199 shares in the company, valued at $2,012,704.17. The trade was a 30.26% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, SVP David Jedrzejek sold 2,248 shares of Levi Strauss & Co. stock in a transaction 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 owned 106,818 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,093,632.80. This trade represents a 2.06% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders sold 49,341 shares of company stock worth $1,068,909. 1.08% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Levi Strauss & Co.

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of LEVI. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC bought a new position in Levi Strauss & Co. in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. US Bancorp DE boosted its stake in Levi Strauss & Co. by 260.5% in the 3rd quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 1,121 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 810 shares in the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. boosted its stake in Levi Strauss & Co. by 140.7% in the 2nd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 1,425 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 833 shares in the last quarter. Hara Capital LLC boosted its stake in Levi Strauss & Co. by 8,080.0% in the 2nd quarter. Hara Capital LLC now owns 2,045 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 2,020 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Kestra Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in Levi Strauss & Co. in the 4th quarter worth about $39,000. Institutional investors own 69.14% of the company’s stock.

Key Levi Strauss & Co. News

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)

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

LEVI has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $25.00 price target on the stock. Needham & Company LLC restated a “buy” rating and set a $28.00 target price on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a report on Wednesday. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, January 31st. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 24th. Finally, UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from $33.00 to $34.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $26.77.

Levi Strauss & Co. Stock Performance

Shares of Levi Strauss & Co. stock opened at $21.83 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $8.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.95, a PEG ratio of 1.50 and a beta of 1.34. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $20.09 and its 200 day moving average is $21.09. Levi Strauss & Co. has a 1 year low of $12.17 and a 1 year high of $24.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46, a current ratio of 1.55 and a quick ratio of 0.94.

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 7th. The blue-jean maker reported $0.42 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.37 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $1.74 billion for 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 revenue was up 14.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.38 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Levi Strauss & Co. will post 1.27 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Levi Strauss & Co. Announces Dividend

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

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.