Why Levi Strauss Stock Popped Today

By Joe Tenebruso – Apr 8, 2026 at 5:38PM ESTKey PointsLevi's direct-to-consumer sales are booming.The company's wholesale business is also performing well.Shares of Levi Strauss (LEVI +10.65%) climbed on Wednesday after the apparel company reported rising sales and profits. Image source: Getty Images. Broad-based growth Levi's net revenue grew 14% year over year to $1.7 billion in its fiscal 2026 first quarter, which ended on March 1. The denim designer saw solid gains across its brands, geographic segments, and distribution channels. Levi's wholesale revenue, which includes sales to department stores and other retailers, rose 12%. Better still, its direct-to-consumer (DTC) revenue, which includes sales via its branded retail stores, outlets, and websites, jumped 16%. DTC gains were driven by a 21% surge in e-commerce sales. These higher-margin DTC sales now account for over half of Levi's total revenue. "Our evolution into a DTC-first denim lifestyle brand is allowing us to capture a much larger addressable market and deliver faster and more consistent growth," CEO Michelle Gass said. ExpandNYSE: LEVILevi Strauss & Co.Today's Change(10.65%) $2.10Current Price$21.81Key Data PointsMarket Cap$7.7BDay's Range$21.40 - $22.9652wk Range$12.17 - $24.82Volume12MAvg Vol2.6MGross Margin61.65%Dividend Yield2.79% All told, Levi's adjusted net income increased 11% to $167 million, or $0.42 per share. That topped Wall Street's estimates, which had called for per-share profits of $0.37. More gains to come These strong results and positive ongoing sales trends prompted Levi to boost its full-year outlook. The company now projects revenue growth of 5.5% to 6.5% in fiscal 2026, up from a prior forecast of 5% to 6%. Management also expects adjusted earnings per share of $1.42 to $1.48, up from $1.40 to $1.46. These estimates might prove conservative. The blue jeans maker's profits stand to benefit from recently reduced tariff rates. Levi's successful DTC push could also continue to drive its earnings above investors' expectations in the year ahead.Read NextApr 8, 2026 •By Motley Fool TranscribingLevi Strauss (LEVI) Q1 2026 Earnings TranscriptApr 8, 2026 •By Motley Fool TranscribingLevi Strauss (LEVI) Q3 2024 Earnings TranscriptApr 8, 2026 •By Keith NoonanWhy Trump Media Stock Fell 13.3% in March But Is Rising in AprilApr 8, 2026 •By Anders BylundForget Timing the Market: Just Buy These Dividend Stocks and Hold ForeverApr 8, 2026 •By Howard SmithStock Market Today, April 8: Carnival Jumps After Iran Ceasefire Hopes and Oil Price PlungeApr 8, 2026 •By Keith NoonanWhy SoFi Technologies Stock Fell 10.6% Last MonthAbout the AuthorJoe Tenebruso is a contributing Motley Fool stock market analyst with more than 3,000 financial bylines to his name. Joe was an investment analyst for Stock Advisor, Income Investor, Crypto Society, and other top-rated investing services. He also managed Tier 1 Investments, a market-crushing real-money portfolio with 24.58% annualized returns. Joe graduated summa cum laude from Rutgers University with a Bachelor of Science in Finance.tmfguardianX@Tier1InvestorStocks MentionedLevi Strauss & Co.NYSE: LEVI$21.81(+10.65%)+$2.10*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.