Greif (NYSE:GEF) Price Target Raised to $73.00

Greif (NYSE:GEF) had its target price lifted by Wells Fargo & Company from $72.00 to $73.00 in a research report sent to investors on Thursday morning,Benzinga reports. Wells Fargo & Company currently has an equal weight rating on the industrial products company’s stock.

GEF has been the subject of a number of other reports. Truist Financial raised their target price on Greif from $71.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Greif in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Robert W. Baird set a $75.00 price objective on Greif in a report on Thursday. Wall Street Zen upgraded Greif from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, December 6th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded shares of Greif from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $74.50.

Greif Price Performance

GEF opened at $70.63 on Thursday. Greif has a fifty-two week low of $48.23 and a fifty-two week high of $74.00. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $68.99 and a 200 day moving average of $64.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a quick ratio of 1.18 and a current ratio of 1.23. The firm has a market cap of $3.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.06, a PEG ratio of 0.55 and a beta of 0.96.

Greif (NYSE:GEF) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The industrial products company reported $0.48 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.69 by ($0.21). Greif had a net margin of 7.52% and a return on equity of 8.46%. The company had revenue of $994.80 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.02 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.39 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was down 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts expect that Greif will post 4.11 EPS for the current year.

Greif Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 1st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, December 18th were issued a $0.56 dividend. This represents a $2.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, December 18th. Greif’s dividend payout ratio is presently 85.82%.

Insider Activity at Greif

In related news, 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 transaction of $466,340.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 37,725 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,513,239.50. This represents a 15.65% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Gary R. Martz sold 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.48, for a total transaction of $302,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 28,100 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,699,488. The trade was a 15.11% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders have bought 32,293 shares of company stock valued at $2,145,733 and have sold 70,584 shares valued at $4,408,749. Insiders own 7.70% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Greif

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Blue Trust Inc. raised its stake in Greif by 36.2% in the third quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 662 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 176 shares in the last quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Greif during the 4th quarter valued at $84,000. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System bought a new stake in shares of Greif during the 2nd quarter worth $214,000. Neuberger Berman Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Greif during the 2nd quarter worth $216,000. Finally, Captrust Financial Advisors purchased a new position in Greif in the second quarter worth $227,000. 45.74% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.