Greif (NYSE:GEF) Hits New 1-Year High – Here’s Why

Shares of Greif, Inc. (NYSE:GEF) hit a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $71.00 and last traded at $70.7850, with a volume of 23475 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $69.48.

Analyst Ratings Changes

GEF has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Truist Financial boosted their price objective on shares of Greif from $71.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Wall Street Zen raised Greif from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, December 6th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Greif in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Zacks Research upgraded Greif from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company restated an “equal weight” rating and issued a $72.00 price target (up previously from $68.00) on shares of Greif in a research note on Tuesday. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, Greif presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $72.50.

Greif Trading Up 1.1%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00, a current ratio of 1.41 and a quick ratio of 1.18. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.52 and a beta of 0.96. The business’s 50-day moving average is $65.41 and its 200 day moving average is $64.07.

Greif Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 1st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, December 18th were issued a dividend of $0.56 per share. This represents a $2.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, December 18th. Greif’s dividend payout ratio is 71.11%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Bala Sathyanarayanan sold 7,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 10th. The shares were 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 in the company, valued at approximately $2,513,239.50. The trade was a 15.65% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Timothy Bergwall sold 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $64.98, for a total transaction of $129,960.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 60,678 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,942,856.44. This trade represents a 3.19% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders have acquired 32,293 shares of company stock valued at $2,145,733 and have sold 70,584 shares valued at $4,385,849. 7.60% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Greif by 36.2% in the third quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 662 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 176 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. raised its position in Greif by 1.3% in the 2nd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 21,494 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,397,000 after buying an additional 280 shares during the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can lifted its stake in Greif by 5.5% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 6,002 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $390,000 after acquiring an additional 314 shares in the last quarter. Retirement Systems of Alabama boosted its holdings in Greif by 1.4% during the 2nd quarter. Retirement Systems of Alabama now owns 31,906 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $2,074,000 after acquiring an additional 444 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Denali Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Greif by 0.4% during the 2nd quarter. Denali Advisors LLC now owns 115,667 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $7,517,000 after acquiring an additional 500 shares during the last quarter. 45.74% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.