Greif (NYSE:GEF) Downgraded by Zacks Research to “Strong Sell”

Greif (NYSE:GEF) was downgraded by research analysts at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other research firms also recently weighed in on GEF. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on Greif from $76.00 to $70.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, March 20th. Truist Financial raised their price target on Greif from $71.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $75.00 price target on Greif in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Greif has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $73.75.

Greif Stock Up 2.8%

GEF opened at $69.98 on Thursday. Greif has a fifty-two week low of $50.71 and a fifty-two week high of $77.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a current ratio of 1.23. The company has a market capitalization of $3.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.92, a P/E/G ratio of 0.56 and a beta of 0.92. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $69.84 and a 200-day moving average of $66.84.

Greif (NYSE:GEF) last posted 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 return on equity of 8.46% and a net margin of 7.52%.The firm had revenue of $994.80 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.02 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.39 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts expect that Greif will post 4.11 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, SVP Matthew B. Leahy sold 1,300 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $73.82, for a total value of $95,966.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 2,739 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $202,192.98. The trade was a 32.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, SVP Gaylord Benner sold 2,800 shares of Greif stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $75.58, for a total value of $211,624.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 7,163 shares in the company, valued at approximately $541,379.54. This represents a 28.10% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders acquired 22,252 shares of company stock valued at $1,971,735 and sold 54,211 shares valued at $3,948,606. 7.70% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Greif

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. SG Americas Securities LLC grew its holdings in Greif by 48.9% during the first quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 9,802 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $657,000 after buying an additional 3,217 shares in the last quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. lifted its position in shares of Greif by 33.3% during the 4th quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 689 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $47,000 after buying an additional 172 shares during the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd lifted its position in shares of 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 buying an additional 317 shares during the last quarter. DGS Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Greif during the 4th quarter worth about $247,000. Finally, Invesco Ltd. lifted its holdings in Greif by 119.1% during the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 325,951 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $22,067,000 after purchasing an additional 177,203 shares in the last quarter. 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.