Greif (NYSE:GEF) Sets New 1-Year High – What’s Next?

Greif, Inc. (NYSE:GEF) shares reached a new 52-week high on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $72.45 and last traded at $71.7140, with a volume of 20445 shares. The stock had previously closed at $71.21.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

Greif Stock Up 0.4%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 1.18 and a current ratio of 1.41. The company has a market cap of $3.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.69, a P/E/G ratio of 0.51 and a beta of 0.96. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $65.98 and a 200 day moving average price of $64.12.

Greif Dividend Announcement

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Greif news, CFO Lawrence A. Hilsheimer bought 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 18th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $65.49 per share, with a total value of $65,490.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief financial officer directly owned 198,444 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,996,097.56. This trade represents a 0.51% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, SVP Timothy Bergwall sold 2,000 shares of Greif 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 completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 60,678 shares in the company, 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 three months, insiders purchased 32,293 shares of company stock worth $2,145,733 and sold 70,584 shares worth $4,385,849. Company insiders own 7.60% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Greif

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of GEF. Blue Trust Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Greif by 36.2% during the third quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 662 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 176 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Greif by 1.3% during 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 period. Bank of Montreal Can grew its holdings in shares of 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 increased its stake in shares of Greif by 1.4% in the second 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, Wedge Capital Management L L P NC increased its stake in shares of Greif by 2.0% in the fourth quarter. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC now owns 23,900 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,618,000 after acquiring an additional 464 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 45.74% of the company’s stock.

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.