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

Zacks Research downgraded shares of Greif (NYSE:GEF) from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a research report sent to investors on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

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

Greif Stock Performance

NYSE GEF opened at $69.98 on Thursday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $69.84 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $66.84. 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 has a 12-month low of $50.71 and a 12-month high of $77.14. The firm has a market cap of $3.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.92, a PEG ratio of 0.56 and a beta of 0.92.

Greif (NYSE:GEF) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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). The company had revenue of $994.80 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.02 billion. Greif had a net margin of 7.52% and a return on equity of 8.46%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.39 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts forecast that Greif will post 4.11 EPS for the current year.

Greif Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Investors of record on Monday, March 16th were paid a $0.56 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 16th. This represents a $2.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.2%. Greif’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 82.96%.

Insider Activity at Greif

In related news, CFO Lawrence A. Hilsheimer sold 22,778 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $71.83, for a total transaction of $1,636,143.74. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Bala Sathyanarayanan sold 10,838 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $74.90, for a total value of $811,766.20. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 36,807 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,756,844.30. This trade represents a 22.75% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders have bought 22,252 shares of company stock worth $1,971,735 and have sold 54,211 shares worth $3,948,606. 7.70% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Greif

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans boosted its holdings in Greif by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 899,137 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $60,872,000 after acquiring an additional 3,793 shares in the last quarter. Deprince Race & Zollo Inc. raised its holdings in Greif by 10.5% in the 4th 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. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Greif by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 567,333 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $38,408,000 after purchasing an additional 1,455 shares during the period. Ameriprise Financial Inc. lifted its position in shares of Greif by 75.5% in the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 524,603 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $31,352,000 after purchasing an additional 225,659 shares during the period. Finally, Medina Value Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of Greif by 19.3% during the 3rd quarter. Medina Value Partners LLC now owns 372,250 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $22,246,000 after purchasing an additional 60,338 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other 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: Company fundamentals that can support the stock: Greif shows low leverage (debt/equity ~0.23), a dividend recently paid (quarterly $0.56, ~3.3% yield) and a history of positive institutional ownership, which may help limit downside.
• Neutral Sentiment: Insider transaction: SVP Timothy Bergwall sold 2,000 shares under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan (avg price ~$70.42). Planned/scheduled insider sales under 10b5-1 typically attract less negative signal than opportunistic insider selling. Insider Sale Filing
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent operating context: Greif missed on EPS and revenue in its Jan quarter (reported $0.48 EPS vs. $0.69 est.; revenue ~$995M vs. ~$1.02B), and consensus full-year EPS sits near $4.11 — useful context for analysts updating forecasts.
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research downgraded GEF from Hold to Strong Sell and trimmed multiple near-term and FY2027/FY2028 EPS estimates (examples: Q1 2028 to $0.94 from $0.97; Q2 2028 to $1.14 from $1.17; FY2028 to $4.50 from $4.65). The downgrade plus across-the-board estimate cuts are the primary near-term catalyst pressuring the stock. Zacks Research Note

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.