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

Greif, Inc. (NYSE:GEF) has received an average rating of “Hold” from the five brokerages that are covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation. The average 12-month target price among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $73.50.

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on GEF. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on shares of Greif from $76.00 to $70.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, March 20th. Robert W. Baird set a $75.00 price target on shares of Greif in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Truist Financial cut their price target on shares of Greif from $79.00 to $78.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Finally, Zacks Research raised Greif from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, SVP Timothy Bergwall sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.66, for a total transaction of $135,320.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 67,832 shares in the company, valued at $4,589,513.12. This represents a 2.86% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last three months, insiders sold 6,000 shares of company stock worth $411,140. Corporate insiders own 7.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Greif

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of GEF. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd increased its holdings in Greif by 106.0% during the 4th quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 616 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $42,000 after purchasing an additional 317 shares during the period. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. raised its holdings in Greif by 33.3% in the 4th quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 689 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 172 shares in the last quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Greif in the 4th quarter worth about $84,000. Simplex Trading LLC lifted its position in shares of Greif by 399.5% in the 4th quarter. Simplex Trading LLC now owns 1,853 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $125,000 after purchasing an additional 1,482 shares during the period. Finally, Man Group plc bought a new stake in shares of Greif during the 4th quarter valued at about $201,000. Institutional investors own 45.74% of the company’s stock.

Greif News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Greif this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised its FY2027 earnings estimate for Greif to $4.48 per share from $4.15, and also lifted its Q2 2028, Q4 2027, and Q3 2027 estimates, which may support sentiment around longer-term earnings potential.
• Neutral Sentiment: The firm slightly increased its Q4 2026 EPS estimate to $1.20 from $1.19, a small adjustment that does not meaningfully change the near-term outlook.
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks cut its FY2026 EPS estimate to $3.86 from $4.14 and lowered its Q3 2026 forecast to $1.08 from $1.35, pointing to some pressure in the near-term earnings picture.
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the estimate changes, Zacks Research maintains a Strong Sell rating on Greif, which could continue to weigh on investor confidence.

Greif Stock Performance

NYSE:GEF opened at $64.32 on Monday. The business has a 50 day moving average of $66.51 and a 200 day moving average of $68.06. The company has a market capitalization of $2.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.64, a PEG ratio of 0.66 and a beta of 0.82. Greif has a 1-year low of $54.03 and a 1-year high of $77.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 1.28 and a quick ratio of 1.00.

Greif (NYSE:GEF) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The industrial products company reported $1.10 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.16 by ($0.06). The business had revenue of $1.07 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.10 billion. Greif had a net margin of 7.27% and a return on equity of 7.50%. The firm’s revenue was down .5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.19 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Greif will post 3.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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.