Greif, Inc. (NYSE:GEF) Short Interest Down 12.2% in January

Greif, Inc. (NYSE:GEF) saw a large decline in short interest in January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 856,502 shares, a decline of 12.2% from the December 31st total of 975,328 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 185,458 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 4.6 days. Currently, 2.0% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Currently, 2.0% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 185,458 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 4.6 days.

Greif Trading Up 1.6%

NYSE GEF opened at $71.74 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a current ratio of 1.23 and a quick ratio of 0.93. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.49, a PEG ratio of 0.54 and a beta of 0.96. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $69.18 and its two-hundred day moving average is $64.52. Greif has a 12 month low of $48.23 and a 12 month high of $74.00.

Greif (NYSE:GEF) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The industrial products company reported $0.48 earnings per share (EPS) 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 period last year, the firm posted $0.39 earnings per share. Greif’s revenue was down 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Greif will post 4.11 earnings per share for the current year.

Greif Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 1st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, December 18th were paid a dividend of $0.56 per share. This represents a $2.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.1%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, December 18th. Greif’s dividend payout ratio is 85.82%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently commented on GEF shares. Truist Financial increased their price target on Greif from $71.00 to $79.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Zacks Research upgraded Greif from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, January 5th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on Greif from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Greif in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Greif from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, December 6th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $74.50.

Insider Transactions at Greif

In related news, EVP Bala Sathyanarayanan sold 7,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $66.62, for a total transaction of $466,340.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 37,725 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,513,239.50. The trade was a 15.65% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Ole G. Rosgaard sold 9,733 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $70.24, for a total transaction of $683,645.92. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 64,707 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,545,019.68. The trade was a 13.07% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders bought 32,293 shares of company stock valued at $2,145,733 and sold 70,584 shares valued at $4,408,749. Insiders own 7.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Greif

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Ameriprise Financial Inc. lifted its stake in Greif by 75.5% during the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 524,603 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $31,352,000 after acquiring an additional 225,659 shares in the last quarter. AXA S.A. acquired a new position in Greif in the 2nd quarter valued at about $9,052,000. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC purchased a new stake in Greif during the second quarter worth about $6,052,000. Deprince Race & Zollo Inc. lifted its position in shares of Greif by 10.5% during the fourth quarter. Deprince Race & Zollo Inc. now owns 837,742 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $56,715,000 after purchasing an additional 79,813 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Medina Value Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Greif by 19.3% during the third quarter. Medina Value Partners LLC now owns 372,250 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $22,246,000 after purchasing an additional 60,338 shares in the last quarter. 45.74% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.