Greif (NYSE:GEF) Raised to Hold at Zacks Research

Greif (NYSE:GEF) was upgraded by investment analysts at Zacks Research from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday,Zacks.com reports. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Greif’s Q3 2026 earnings at $1.08 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $1.20 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $3.86 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $1.42 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $1.25 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $4.48 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at $0.54 EPS and Q2 2028 earnings at $1.19 EPS.

Several other equities research analysts have also issued reports on GEF. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of Greif from $76.00 to $70.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, March 20th. Robert W. Baird set a $75.00 target price on shares of Greif in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Truist Financial lowered their target price on shares of Greif from $79.00 to $78.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $73.50.

Greif Price Performance

Shares of GEF opened at $64.32 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.97 billion, a PE ratio of 24.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.66 and a beta of 0.82. 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 has a 1-year low of $54.03 and a 1-year high of $77.14. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $66.51 and its 200-day moving average price is $67.98.

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Greif news, SVP Timothy Bergwall sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.66, for a total value of $135,320.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 67,832 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,589,513.12. This represents a 2.86% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last three months, insiders have sold 6,000 shares of company stock valued at $411,140. 7.70% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Greif

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of GEF. Ameriprise Financial Inc. raised its holdings in Greif by 75.5% in the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 524,603 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $31,352,000 after acquiring an additional 225,659 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. raised its holdings in Greif by 119.1% in the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 325,951 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $22,067,000 after acquiring an additional 177,203 shares during the last quarter. EVR Research LP acquired a new stake in Greif in the 4th quarter valued at about $11,848,000. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC acquired a new stake in Greif in the 2nd quarter valued at about $6,052,000. Finally, 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 valued at $56,715,000 after acquiring an additional 79,813 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 45.74% of the company’s stock.

Greif News Roundup

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 Company Profile

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.