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

Shares of Greif, Inc. (NYSE:GEF) have received a consensus rating of “Hold” from the six ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $69.50.

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on GEF shares. Zacks Research cut Greif from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Truist Financial decreased their price target on shares of Greif from $72.00 to $71.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, September 8th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Greif from $67.00 to $68.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, November 7th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Greif from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, December 6th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Greif in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th.

Greif Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:GEF opened at $68.85 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $3.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.86 and a beta of 0.95. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $63.65 and a 200 day moving average price of $63.74. The company has a quick ratio of 1.18, a current ratio of 1.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00. Greif has a twelve month low of $48.23 and a twelve month high of $70.89.

Greif Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 1st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, December 18th will be given a dividend of $0.56 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, December 18th. This represents a $2.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.3%. Greif’s payout ratio is currently 71.11%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Bala Sathyanarayanan sold 7,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 10th. The stock was 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 trade represents a 15.65% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Ole G. Rosgaard sold 9,733 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on 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 directly owned 64,707 shares in the company, valued at $4,545,019.68. This trade represents a 13.07% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders acquired 32,293 shares of company stock valued at $2,145,733 and sold 70,584 shares valued at $4,385,849. Company insiders own 7.60% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in GEF. Ameriprise Financial Inc. boosted its holdings in Greif by 75.5% during the third quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 524,603 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $31,352,000 after purchasing an additional 225,659 shares in the last quarter. AXA S.A. acquired a new position in shares of Greif in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $9,052,000. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Greif by 54.2% during the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 366,449 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $20,015,000 after buying an additional 128,880 shares during the period. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC acquired a new stake in Greif in the 2nd quarter valued at $6,052,000. Finally, Medina Value Partners LLC grew its position in Greif by 19.3% in the third quarter. Medina Value Partners LLC now owns 372,250 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $22,246,000 after acquiring an additional 60,338 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 45.74% of the company’s stock.

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.