Greif, Inc. (NYSE:GEF) Receives Average Recommendation of “Hold” from Brokerages

Shares of Greif, Inc. (NYSE:GEF) have been given a consensus recommendation of “Hold” by the six brokerages that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, four have issued a hold recommendation and one has issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12 month price target among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $69.50.

GEF has been the topic of several recent research reports. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Greif from $67.00 to $68.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, November 7th. Zacks Research cut Greif from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 2nd. Truist Financial reduced their price target on shares of Greif from $72.00 to $71.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Monday, September 8th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Greif from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, December 6th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Greif in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Gary R. Martz sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.48, for a total value of $302,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 28,100 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,699,488. This represents a 15.11% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CFO Lawrence A. Hilsheimer sold 33,851 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $59.58, for a total value of $2,016,842.58. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 66,826 shares in the company, valued at $3,981,493.08. This trade represents a 33.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders purchased 32,293 shares of company stock worth $2,145,733 and sold 70,584 shares worth $4,385,849. 7.60% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Greif

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. American Century Companies Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Greif during the 1st quarter worth about $1,167,000. Baird Financial Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Greif by 5.5% during the first quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 37,135 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $2,042,000 after acquiring an additional 1,944 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Greif by 54.2% during the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 366,449 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $20,015,000 after purchasing an additional 128,880 shares in the last quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Greif in the first quarter worth approximately $3,193,000. Finally, UniSuper Management Pty Ltd bought a new position in Greif during the 1st quarter valued at $654,000. Institutional investors own 45.74% of the company’s stock.

Greif Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE GEF opened at $69.35 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.18, a current ratio of 1.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $63.03 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $63.64. Greif has a 52-week low of $48.23 and a 52-week high of $70.89. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.02 and a beta of 0.95.

Greif Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 1st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, December 18th will be issued a dividend of $0.56 per share. This represents a $2.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, December 18th. Greif’s payout ratio is 71.11%.

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.