Greif (NYSE:GEF) Price Target Raised to $76.00 at Wells Fargo & Company

Greif (NYSE:GEF) had its price target raised by equities researchers at Wells Fargo & Company from $73.00 to $76.00 in a note issued to investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an “equal weight” rating on the industrial products company’s stock. Wells Fargo & Company‘s target price would suggest a potential upside of 2.14% from the company’s current price.

A number of other research firms have also recently weighed in on GEF. Truist Financial increased their price target on Greif from $71.00 to $79.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Robert W. Baird set a $75.00 price target on shares of Greif in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Greif from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, December 6th. Finally, Zacks Research raised Greif from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $75.25.

Greif Stock Performance

Shares of Greif stock traded down $0.74 during trading on Thursday, hitting $74.41. 11,641 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 213,166. The company has a current ratio of 1.23, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $71.55 and a 200-day moving average price of $65.37. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.58 and a beta of 0.96. Greif has a 1-year low of $48.23 and a 1-year high of $77.14.

Greif (NYSE:GEF) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The industrial products company reported $0.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.69 by ($0.21). The firm had revenue of $994.80 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.02 billion. Greif had a net margin of 7.52% and a return on equity of 8.46%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.39 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts predict that Greif will post 4.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Greif

In related news, CEO Ole G. Rosgaard sold 9,733 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $70.24, for a total value of $683,645.92. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 64,707 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,545,019.68. The trade was a 13.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Bala Sathyanarayanan sold 10,838 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $74.90, for a total transaction of $811,766.20. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 36,807 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,756,844.30. This represents a 22.75% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders acquired 22,252 shares of company stock worth $1,971,735 and sold 70,944 shares worth $5,095,812. 7.70% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Greif

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in GEF. Blue Trust Inc. boosted its position in shares of Greif by 36.2% during the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 662 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $40,000 after acquiring an additional 176 shares in the last quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Greif by 4.3% in the 4th quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 5,682 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $385,000 after purchasing an additional 235 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 280 shares in the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can increased its stake in shares of Greif by 5.5% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 6,002 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $390,000 after purchasing an additional 314 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Stifel Financial Corp raised its holdings in shares of Greif by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. Stifel Financial Corp now owns 57,581 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $3,898,000 after buying an additional 398 shares in 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.