Greif, Inc. (NYSE:GEF) Given Average Rating of “Reduce” by Analysts

Greif, Inc. (NYSE:GEF) has earned an average rating of “Reduce” from the five analysts that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and four have given a hold rating to the company. The average 12-month target price among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $74.25.

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Greif from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 17th. Bank of America lowered Greif from a “neutral” rating to an “underperform” rating and set a $70.00 price target for the company. in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Truist Financial reduced their price objective on Greif from $79.00 to $78.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Zacks Research raised shares of Greif from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Greif from $70.00 to $74.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 15th.

Insider Activity

In related news, SVP Timothy Bergwall sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, July 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $73.14, for a total transaction of $146,280.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 63,832 shares in the company, valued at $4,668,672.48. This trade represents a 3.04% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 6,000 shares of company stock worth $412,120. Corporate insiders own 7.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd raised its stake in Greif by 106.0% during the fourth quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 616 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $42,000 after acquiring an additional 317 shares during the period. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. increased its stake in shares of Greif by 33.3% in the fourth quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 689 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 172 shares during the period. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC bought a new stake in shares of Greif during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $84,000. Simplex Trading LLC grew its holdings in Greif by 399.5% in the 4th quarter. Simplex Trading LLC now owns 1,853 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $125,000 after buying an additional 1,482 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Man Group plc acquired a new stake in Greif in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $201,000. 45.74% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Greif Stock Down 1.4%

GEF stock opened at $75.29 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.47 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.85, a PEG ratio of 0.82 and a beta of 0.76. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a current ratio of 1.28. Greif has a one year low of $55.75 and a one year high of $77.14. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $68.65 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $69.47.

Greif (NYSE:GEF) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The industrial products company reported $1.10 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.16 by ($0.06). Greif had a return on equity of 7.50% and a net margin of 7.27%.The business had revenue of $1.07 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.10 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.19 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was down .5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Greif will post 3.82 EPS for the current year.

Greif Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 1st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, June 17th were issued a $0.62 dividend. This is a positive change from Greif’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.56. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, June 17th. This represents a $2.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.3%. Greif’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 95.02%.

About Greif

Greif, Inc is a global leader in industrial packaging products and services, with a history dating back to its founding in 1877. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, the company has evolved from a regional barrel and drum manufacturer into a diversified packaging provider serving a wide range of end markets. Greif’s longstanding heritage in container solutions has positioned it as a trusted partner for customers seeking reliable, high-quality packaging options.

The company’s core business revolves around the design, manufacture and sale of industrial packaging products, including steel, plastic and fiber drums; intermediate bulk containers (IBCs); safety closures; rigid, flexible and reconditioned packaging; containerboard and protective packaging.