Greif (NYSE:GEF) Sets New 12-Month High – Still a Buy?

Greif, Inc. (NYSE:GEF) shares hit a new 52-week high during trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $89.15 and last traded at $88.59, with a volume of 81833 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $86.70.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Greif from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Truist Financial reaffirmed a “hold” rating and issued a $97.00 target price (up from $78.00) on shares of Greif in a research report on Tuesday. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on Greif from $74.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Bank of America downgraded Greif from a “neutral” rating to an “underperform” rating and set a $70.00 price target for the company. in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised Greif from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 17th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $83.00.

Greif Price Performance

The company’s fifty day moving average price is $72.23 and its 200 day moving average price is $70.31. The company has a market capitalization of $4.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.98, a PEG ratio of 0.88 and a beta of 0.76. The company has a quick ratio of 0.99, a current ratio of 1.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23.

Greif (NYSE:GEF) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The industrial products company reported $1.61 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.11 by $0.50. Greif had a return on equity of 8.09% and a net margin of 7.53%.The business had revenue of $1.17 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.12 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.86 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Greif, Inc. will post 4.06 EPS for the current year.

Greif Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 1st. Investors of record on Wednesday, June 17th were paid a $0.62 dividend. This represents a $2.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.8%. This is a boost from Greif’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.56. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, June 17th. Greif’s payout ratio is presently 95.02%.

Insider Transactions at Greif

In other Greif news, SVP Timothy Bergwall sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $73.14, for a total value of $146,280.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 63,832 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,668,672.48. This trade represents a 3.04% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 6,000 shares of company stock worth $412,120 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 7.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Greif

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd increased its stake in shares of Greif by 106.0% in 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 last quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. grew its position in Greif by 33.3% in the fourth quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 689 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $47,000 after acquiring an additional 172 shares during the last quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC bought a new position in shares of Greif in the fourth quarter worth about $84,000. Simplex Trading LLC grew its holdings in shares of Greif by 399.5% during the 4th quarter. Simplex Trading LLC now owns 1,853 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $125,000 after purchasing an additional 1,482 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Leonteq Securities AG acquired a new position in Greif during the 1st quarter worth approximately $201,000. 45.74% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.