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

Shares of Greif, Inc. (NYSE:GEF) have earned a consensus rating of “Hold” from the six ratings firms that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating. The average 1 year price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $72.50.

A number of research firms have issued reports on GEF. Zacks Research upgraded Greif from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Greif in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Truist Financial increased their price objective on shares of Greif from $71.00 to $79.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Wells Fargo & Company reaffirmed an “equal weight” rating and set a $72.00 target price (up previously from $68.00) on shares of Greif in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Greif from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, December 6th.

Insider Transactions at Greif

In other news, CFO Lawrence A. Hilsheimer purchased 1,000 shares of Greif stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 18th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $65.49 per share, for a total transaction of $65,490.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief financial officer owned 198,444 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,996,097.56. This trade represents a 0.51% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Bala Sathyanarayanan sold 7,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $66.62, for a total value of $466,340.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 37,725 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,513,239.50. This represents a 15.65% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders bought 32,293 shares of company stock valued at $2,145,733 and sold 70,584 shares valued at $4,408,749. 7.70% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Greif

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Blue Trust Inc. raised its position in Greif by 36.2% during the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 662 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 176 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. increased its stake in shares of Greif by 1.3% in the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 21,494 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,397,000 after buying an additional 280 shares during the period. Bank of Montreal Can raised its position in shares of Greif by 5.5% during the second quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 6,002 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $390,000 after acquiring an additional 314 shares during the last quarter. Retirement Systems of Alabama lifted its stake in shares of Greif by 1.4% in the second quarter. Retirement Systems of Alabama now owns 31,906 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $2,074,000 after acquiring an additional 444 shares during the period. Finally, Wedge Capital Management L L P NC boosted its holdings in Greif by 2.0% in the fourth quarter. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC now owns 23,900 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,618,000 after acquiring an additional 464 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 45.74% of the company’s stock.

Greif Trading Down 0.1%

Shares of GEF opened at $71.94 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 1.18 and a current ratio of 1.41. Greif has a 52-week low of $48.23 and a 52-week high of $72.45. The firm has a market cap of $3.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.84, a PEG ratio of 0.53 and a beta of 0.96. The business’s fifty day moving average is $67.08 and its 200-day moving average is $64.21.

Greif Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 1st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, December 18th were given a $0.56 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, December 18th. This represents a $2.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.1%. Greif’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 71.11%.

Greif Company Profile

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.