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Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC increased its stake in Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI – Free Report) by 12.6% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,325,256 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock after buying an additional 148,067 shares during the period. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC owned 0.34% of Levi Strauss & Co. worth $25,180,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in LEVI. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in Levi Strauss & Co. by 3.8% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 9,320,747 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock worth $193,312,000 after purchasing an additional 342,009 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its holdings in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 462.4% during the first quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 4,839,861 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock valued at $89,489,000 after buying an additional 3,979,223 shares during the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 44.0% during the fourth quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 4,243,680 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock valued at $88,014,000 after acquiring an additional 1,296,474 shares in the last quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. increased its position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 9.3% during the third quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 3,457,702 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock valued at $80,564,000 after acquiring an additional 294,053 shares in the last quarter. Finally, GW&K Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in Levi Strauss & Co. by 31.5% in the 4th quarter. GW&K Investment Management LLC now owns 2,219,599 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock worth $46,034,000 after acquiring an additional 531,963 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 69.14% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Levi Strauss & Co. In other news, major shareholder Margaret E. Haas sold 47,721 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $24.01, for a total transaction of $1,145,781.21. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, major shareholder E. Haas Jr. Family Fund Peter sold 145,662 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $24.01, for a total transaction of $3,497,344.62. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 145,662 shares in the company, valued at $3,497,344.62. This trade represents a 50.00% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 1,236,803 shares of company stock worth $28,742,192 in the last three months. 1.08% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Levi Strauss & Co. Price Performance Shares of LEVI opened at $23.98 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $9.23 billion, a PE ratio of 14.81, a P/E/G ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 1.33. The company has a current ratio of 1.60, a quick ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $23.33 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $21.78. Levi Strauss & Co. has a 1-year low of $17.72 and a 1-year high of $25.58.

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 8th. The blue-jean maker reported $0.28 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.24 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $1.56 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.52 billion. Levi Strauss & Co. had a return on equity of 25.79% and a net margin of 9.66%.The company’s revenue was up 8.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.22 EPS. Levi Strauss & Co. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.460-1.520 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Levi Strauss & Co. will post 1.54 EPS for the current year.

Levi Strauss & Co. Increases Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 22nd will be paid a dividend of $0.16 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 22nd. This represents a $0.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.7%. This is an increase from Levi Strauss & Co.’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.14. Levi Strauss & Co.’s dividend payout ratio is presently 34.57%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth LEVI has been the topic of several analyst reports. Raymond James Financial upped their price objective on Levi Strauss & Co. from $25.00 to $27.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 2nd. UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $34.00 target price on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Barclays boosted their price target on Levi Strauss & Co. from $26.00 to $27.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, July 10th. Wall Street Zen raised Levi Strauss & Co. from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, April 11th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $28.00 price objective on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Levi Strauss & Co. currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $27.46.

View Our Latest Stock Analysis on Levi Strauss & Co.

About Levi Strauss & Co. (Free Report)

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.

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Levi Strauss beat Wall Street's quarterly expectations on the top and bottom lines on Wednesday, leading the retailer to increase its guidance and its dividend. 

The denim maker is now expecting full-year adjusted earnings per share to be between $1.46 and $1.52, up from a prior range of between $1.42 and $1.48. At the high end, that's ahead of expectations of $1.50 per share, according to LSEG. 

Levi also raised its top-line outlook and is now expecting full-year sales to rise between 7% and 7.5%, compared with a prior range of between 5.5% and 6.5%. That's ahead of expectations of 6.6%, according to LSEG. About half of that growth is expected to come from higher prices and the other half is expected to come from unit sales, said finance chief Harmit Singh. 

Here's how Levi did in its second fiscal quarter compared with what Wall Street was anticipating, based on a survey of analysts by LSEG:

Earnings per share: 28 cents adjusted vs. 24 cents expectedRevenue: $1.56 billion vs. $1.52 billion expectedDespite the results, Levi's shares dropped more than 5% in extended trading.

The company's reported net income for the three-month period that ended May 31 was $87.3 million, or 22 cents per share, compared with $67 million, or 17 cents per share, a year earlier. 

Sales rose to $1.56 billion, up about 8% from $1.45 billion a year earlier.

In an interview with CNBC, CEO Michelle Gass said the company's core consumer is proving to be resilient — even in the face of higher gas prices. She said about two-thirds of the quarter's sales growth came from units — not just higher prices — giving the company the confidence to raise guidance and its dividend.

"Our demand remains healthy," Gass said. "We're seeing strength across our key segments of consumers, so we have our core Levi's, but we're also seeing strength in signature, as well as our new premium blue tab." 

Move over, guys.

Iconic apparel brands that have historically been more popular with men are turning to women to help drive a new leg of growth.

The CEOs of Timberland owner VF Corp., Levi's, and Columbia Sportswear have all recently highlighted women as a key focus as they look to boost revenues and broaden their customer bases.

The opportunity is sizable. Needham analyst Tom Nikic estimates the U.S. women's apparel market is roughly 70% larger than the men's apparel market. In other words, women spend substantially more on clothing than men.

"If you're skewing very heavily towards men, then you're essentially leaving behind half the population," Nikic told CNBC.

The efforts at VF Corp., Levi's, and Columbia reflect a broader trend across the apparel industry as brands search for growth in an increasingly competitive market, according to analysts. While these companies have sold women's clothes and shoes for decades, executives are increasingly treating female consumers as a strategic priority rather than simply another customer segment.

For investors, the appeal is straightforward. Winning over more female shoppers allows brands to expand their addressable market without having to embark on a radical pivot.

"There was no good structural reason why some of these brands should skew as heavily male as they did," Nikic said. "If they can successfully grow with women while maintaining strength with men, that's a significant opportunity."

VF Corp. CEO Bracken Darrell, who took over three years ago to reinvigorate the company after a period of declining sales, described women as a major "unlock" for several of its brands, including Vans, The North Face, Timberland, and shoe maker Altra Running.

Darrell said the opportunity stems from both women's growing purchasing power and their influence on broader consumer trends.

"Women have influenced men's choices in a bigger way than a lot of us who ran predominantly men's brands gave credit for," Darrell said in an interview. "We always had opportunities across all our brands that were bigger for us if we tried to get in with women."

VF is incorporating that focus into more product development across its portfolio. Vans, a hallmark of skateboard culture, has introduced more women's apparel, pearlized footwear and shoe jewelry. Known for its iconic yellow boot, Timberland has expanded its lineup with products such as its Stone Street platform boots and other women's-focused silhouettes, leaning into elevated designs as it looks to broaden its appeal among female shoppers.

At The North Face, the company has collaborated with Kim Kardashian's Skims and other fashion brands, while also expanding its offerings for female outdoor enthusiasts. Its Advanced Mountain Kit line, one of the brand's premium performance collections, now includes a full women's assortment.

The North Face is the company's "single biggest opportunity with women," Darrell said. It's also the company's largest brand by revenue, accounting for roughly 42% of its $9.6 billion in fiscal 2026 sales.

"We believe North Face can double from $4 billion to $8 billion over some time frame," he said, estimating that women could account for more than $2 billion of that potential growth.

The focus on women could also play a role in helping Vans return to sustainable growth, according to Jefferies analyst Blake Anderson. He said younger women can act as "strong brand advocates and trendsetters," helping drive awareness through social media and online shopping channels.

Vans brand has struggled for years, predating Darrell's arrival. But revenue trends are improving. Sales on a constant-currency basis fell 11% in VF's fiscal year ended in March, compared with 15% and 27% in fiscal 2025 and 2024, respectively. For 2027, the company projects a mid-single decline.

In fiscal 2026, VF broke a streak of three consecutive years of declining companywide sales, with The North Face and Timberland both growing 5% on a constant-currency basis. It's guided for another year of growth in fiscal 2027.

So far in Darrell's tenure, shares of VF are down roughly 7%, when including dividends. That trails State Street's popular retail ETF known as the XRT, which is up 38% in that timeframe. Over the past year, though, the stock has trounced the XRT, returning almost 36% versus roughly 10%.

Levi's has emerged as one of the clearest examples of how expanding into women's apparel can translate into growth.

Former Kohl's CEO Michelle Gass became Levi's chief executive in January 2024 after a year as president. She was tasked with accelerating growth and advancing the company's transition to a direct-to-consumer-first business.

As part of that strategy, Gass made attracting female shoppers a key priority through the company's "Win With Her" initiative, which first launched in Europe and has since expanded more broadly throughout the business. On CNBC's "Mad Money" earlier this year, Gass told Jim Cramer that women's apparel now accounts for 38% of Levi's business, up from roughly a third in 2022. She is targeting a 50-50 revenue split between men and women.

"Women's was up 11% for [2025], and we have a long way to go between 38% and 50%, and that's incremental business for us," Gass said.

On the company's 2026 first-quarter earnings call, Gass said women's apparel grew 13% in the quarter, compared with 7% growth in men's. In its 2025 annual report, Levi's described the category as a "powerful growth engine," and noted that it carries higher gross margins while remaining underpenetrated.

The company has expanded beyond denim into dresses, skirts, tops and lifestyle apparel. It's also increased its marketing efforts, including its high-profile partnership with Beyoncé in 2024.

Levi's has also changed how it merchandises its stores. Women's apparel is now featured prominently at the front of many U.S. locations, supported by mannequins and lifestyle displays designed to showcase complete outfits.

Nikic, the Needham analyst, said Levi's demonstrates how brands can grow their women's businesses without sacrificing momentum among male shoppers.

"The women's business is performing even better, but men's product has continued to sell well," he said. "When you can get balanced growth across both men and women, it obviously does wonders for your P&L and for your stock price."

Shares of Levi's have returned 66%, including dividends, since Gass became CEO in January 2024. In that stretch, the stock has significantly outperformed the XRT's 28% return. It's also narrowly topped the S&P 500's total return of 58%.

Levi's reports its next set of quarterly earnings on Wednesday.

Columbia Sportswear is pursuing a similar strategy.

At a recent investor conference, CEO Tim Boyle pointed to the success of Columbia's Amaze Puff Jacket, a stylish winter coat, as an example of how the company is broadening its appeal beyond clothes and shoes popular for hiking, fishing and more.

"It's highly fashionable," said Boyle, who's been CEO since 1988. "It brought a lot of new people into the brand."

The jacket generated significant social media attention and helped introduce Columbia to consumers who may not have traditionally considered the company a fashion brand, Boyle said.

The company has continued to build on that momentum. During an appearance on CNBC's "Mad Money" in May, Boyle highlighted women's outerwear as a major area of focus, and said Columbia plans to expand the Amaze collection into additional seasons.

Columbia expects sales to grow between 1% to 3% this year, after falling 3% last year on a constant-currency basis. Over the past year, the stock has returned about 1%, trailing the XRT's 10% advance.

The stock performance across the group has been mixed, but their pursuits are aligned.

"Your average woman spends almost twice as much on their closet annually as the average man in the U.S.," Nikic said.

Darrell said that's an opportunity the company can no longer afford to overlook.

"You can't look away from the fact that more than 50% of the population is women, so that's always been a big opportunity for these brands," he said. "Investors should be excited to know that we're not ignoring them, we're going after them."