Greif (NYSE:GEF) Stock Crosses Above 200-Day Moving Average – Here’s Why

Greif, Inc. (NYSE:GEF) shares passed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $66.02 and traded as high as $66.85. Greif shares last traded at $66.3680, with a volume of 152,808 shares trading hands.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have recently commented on GEF. Wall Street Zen upgraded Greif from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, December 6th. Zacks Research upgraded Greif from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, January 5th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on Greif from $76.00 to $70.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, March 20th. Robert W. Baird set a $75.00 price target on Greif in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Truist Financial raised their price objective on Greif from $71.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $73.75.

Greif Trading Down 0.5%

The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $71.11 and its 200-day simple moving average is $66.02. The company has a market capitalization of $3.07 billion, a PE ratio of 24.58, a P/E/G ratio of 0.51 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a quick ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 1.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23.

Greif (NYSE:GEF) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The industrial products company reported $0.48 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.69 by ($0.21). The business had revenue of $994.80 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.02 billion. Greif had a net margin of 7.52% and a return on equity of 8.46%. The business’s revenue was down 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.39 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Greif, Inc. will post 4.11 EPS for the current year.

Greif Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 16th will be given a $0.56 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 16th. This represents a $2.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.4%. Greif’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 82.96%.

Insider Activity at Greif

In other news, SVP Timothy Bergwall sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $71.54, for a total value of $143,080.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 58,678 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,197,824.12. This trade represents a 3.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, SVP Kimberly Anne Kellermann sold 5,265 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $71.99, for a total value of $379,027.35. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 5,808 shares in the company, valued at approximately $418,117.92. The trade was a 47.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders have acquired 22,252 shares of company stock valued at $1,971,735 and have sold 54,211 shares valued at $3,950,846. Company insiders own 7.70% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Greif

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans grew its position in Greif by 6.5% in the third quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 895,344 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $53,506,000 after acquiring an additional 54,256 shares in the last quarter. AlphaQuest LLC acquired a new position in shares of Greif during the third quarter worth $1,220,000. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Greif by 10.2% during the third quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 144,524 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $8,637,000 after purchasing an additional 13,393 shares in the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Greif by 30.6% in the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 78,173 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $4,672,000 after purchasing an additional 18,339 shares during the period. Finally, Inceptionr LLC purchased a new position in shares of Greif in the second quarter valued at $334,000. 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.