Graphic Packaging (NYSE:GPK) Cut to Hold at Baird R W

Graphic Packaging (NYSE:GPK) was downgraded by analysts at Baird R W from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report issued on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports.

Other research analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Truist Financial decreased their target price on Graphic Packaging from $20.00 to $18.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday. Raymond James Financial lowered shares of Graphic Packaging from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research report on Friday, October 17th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Graphic Packaging in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Zacks Research raised shares of Graphic Packaging from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. Finally, Robert W. Baird reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $18.00 price objective on shares of Graphic Packaging in a research note on Wednesday. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Graphic Packaging has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $18.50.

Graphic Packaging Price Performance

NYSE:GPK opened at $15.06 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.63, a current ratio of 1.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.67. Graphic Packaging has a 52 week low of $13.93 and a 52 week high of $28.62. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $15.66 and its 200-day moving average price is $19.04. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.44 billion, a PE ratio of 8.86 and a beta of 0.64.

Graphic Packaging (NYSE:GPK) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The industrial products company reported $0.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.54 by $0.04. Graphic Packaging had a return on equity of 19.98% and a net margin of 5.94%.The company had revenue of $2.19 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.17 billion. Graphic Packaging has set its FY 2025 guidance at 1.800-2.000 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that Graphic Packaging will post 2.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. American Century Companies Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Graphic Packaging by 19.1% in the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 22,022,347 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $464,011,000 after purchasing an additional 3,533,846 shares during the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC increased its stake in shares of Graphic Packaging by 8.5% in the 3rd quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 19,138,977 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $374,550,000 after acquiring an additional 1,502,681 shares during the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA increased its stake in shares of Graphic Packaging by 11.8% in the 2nd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 11,570,040 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $243,781,000 after acquiring an additional 1,218,848 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its holdings in shares of Graphic Packaging by 32.6% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 11,501,251 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $225,080,000 after acquiring an additional 2,828,094 shares during the period. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its position in shares of Graphic Packaging by 10.8% during the 3rd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 9,903,921 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $193,811,000 after acquiring an additional 964,517 shares during the last quarter. 99.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting Graphic Packaging

Here are the key news stories impacting Graphic Packaging this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Bull case: a Seeking Alpha piece reiterates a buy thesis, pointing to aggressive cost cuts, planned plant closures and ramping the new Waco facility (targeting roughly $80M annual EBITDA in 2026–27) as reasons GPK can recover from recent revenue and profit headwinds. This supports longer‑term upside if execution meets targets. Graphic Packaging: A Focus On The Big Picture Justifies Upside
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation review: a Yahoo Finance piece analyzes GPK’s valuation after recent swings — it notes the stock trades at a deep discount to peers, which could attract value investors but also reflects real near‑term operational risks. A Look At Graphic Packaging Holding (GPK) Valuation After Recent Share Price Swings
• Neutral Sentiment: Broker tone mixed: Baird is publicly active on the name (reports show a neutral rating and an $18 target in one report), signalling cautious investor expectations even where upside is flagged. Baird / Tickerreport
• Negative Sentiment: Legal risk increased: two shareholder‑rights firms (Schall Law Firm and Pomerantz LLP) announced investigations into whether Graphic Packaging made false or misleading statements. Potential securities litigation raises uncertainty, possible legal costs, and distraction for management. Schall Law Firm investigation Pomerantz investigation
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst downgrades / price target cuts: multiple broker notes are bearish or more cautious — Wells Fargo issued a downgrade, Citigroup cut its price target from $19 to $16, and at least one report indicates Baird action framed more cautiously. These moves reduce near‑term demand and signal lower consensus expectations. Wells Fargo downgrades Citigroup / Benzinga Baird coverage note
• Negative Sentiment: Retail/investor caution pieces: media posts highlighting three reasons GPK is “risky” add to negative sentiment and may pressure retail selling. MSN risk article

Graphic Packaging Company Profile

Graphic Packaging Holding Company is a leading provider of sustainable paperboard packaging solutions, offering a broad portfolio of products designed for food, beverage and other consumer goods markets. The company specializes in the manufacture of containerboard, folding cartons and engineered fill materials, as well as beverage packaging systems including paperboard cups, carriers and related components.

Through a network of manufacturing facilities across North America, Europe and Latin America, Graphic Packaging serves a diverse customer base that includes major consumer packaged goods companies, quick-service restaurants and retail chains.