Morgan Stanley Has Lowered Expectations for Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) Stock Price

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) had its price target decreased by Morgan Stanley from $18.00 to $17.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an “equal weight” rating on the blue-jean maker’s stock. Morgan Stanley’s price target points to a potential downside of 10.78% from the company’s previous close.

Other research analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Barclays began coverage on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $24.00 target price for the company. Citigroup dropped their target price on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from $21.00 to $19.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 17th. TD Cowen decreased their price target on Levi Strauss & Co. from $25.00 to $23.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, October 3rd. Guggenheim restated a “buy” rating and set a $23.00 price target on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research report on Friday, January 24th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on Levi Strauss & Co. from $21.00 to $19.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 24th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Levi Strauss & Co. presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $21.36.

Levi Strauss & Co. Trading Up 1.1 %

LEVI opened at $19.06 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.56 billion, a PE ratio of 36.64, a P/E/G ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 1.16. Levi Strauss & Co. has a one year low of $15.62 and a one year high of $24.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a current ratio of 1.41. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $17.58 and its 200 day moving average price is $18.18.

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The blue-jean maker reported $0.50 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.48 by $0.02. Levi Strauss & Co. had a return on equity of 26.00% and a net margin of 3.32%. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Levi Strauss & Co. will post 1.36 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director David A. Friedman sold 4,166 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, January 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $18.00, for a total value of $74,988.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 104,178 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,875,204. This trade represents a 3.85 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 3.14% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Levi Strauss & Co.

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in Levi Strauss & Co. during the 3rd quarter worth about $27,000. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. during the 4th quarter worth about $39,000. Quarry LP purchased a new stake in Levi Strauss & Co. during the second quarter worth approximately $56,000. Matrix Trust Co boosted its holdings in Levi Strauss & Co. by 678.9% in the fourth quarter. Matrix Trust Co now owns 5,507 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock valued at $95,000 after purchasing an additional 4,800 shares in the last quarter. Finally, R Squared Ltd purchased a new position in Levi Strauss & Co. in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $105,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 69.14% of the company’s stock.

Levi Strauss & Co. Company Profile

Levi Strauss & Co engages in the design, marketing, and sale of apparel products. The company offers jeans, casual and dress pants, tops, shorts, skirts, jackets, footwear, and related accessories. It operates through the following geographical segments: Americas, Europe, and Asia. The company was founded by Levi Strauss in 1853 and is headquartered in San Francisco, CA.