Greif (NYSE:GEF) Share Price Crosses Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average – Should You Sell?

Greif, Inc. (NYSE:GEF) passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $68.88 and traded as high as $75.15. Greif shares last traded at $74.8730, with a volume of 573,044 shares changing hands.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on GEF shares. Zacks Research raised shares of Greif from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on Greif from $76.00 to $70.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, March 20th. Weiss Ratings raised Greif from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 17th. Finally, Truist Financial cut their price target on Greif from $79.00 to $78.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Monday, May 4th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $73.50.

Greif Trading Up 0.8%

The business’s fifty day moving average price is $66.56 and its 200 day moving average price is $68.88. The company has a quick ratio of 1.00, a current ratio of 1.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.45 billion, a PE ratio of 28.69, a P/E/G ratio of 0.77 and a beta of 0.80.

Greif (NYSE:GEF) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 29th. The industrial products company reported $1.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.16 by ($0.06). The firm 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%. The business’s quarterly revenue was down .5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.19 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Greif, Inc. will post 3.87 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Greif Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 1st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, June 17th will be issued a dividend of $0.62 per share. This represents a $2.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.3%. This is a positive change from Greif’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.56. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, June 17th. Greif’s payout ratio is 95.02%.

Insider Activity at Greif

In related news, SVP Timothy Bergwall sold 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $65.26, for a total value of $130,520.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 65,832 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,296,196.32. This represents a 2.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 6,000 shares of company stock valued at $406,680 over the last ninety days. 7.70% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd grew its holdings in Greif by 106.0% in the fourth quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 616 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $42,000 after purchasing an additional 317 shares during the period. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. raised its stake in Greif by 33.3% during the fourth quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 689 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 172 shares during the period. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC purchased a new position in Greif during the fourth quarter worth approximately $84,000. Simplex Trading LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Greif by 399.5% in the 4th quarter. Simplex Trading LLC now owns 1,853 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $125,000 after purchasing an additional 1,482 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Leonteq Securities AG acquired a new position in shares of Greif in the 1st quarter valued at $201,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.