Greif (NYSE:GEF) SVP Timothy Bergwall Sells 2,000 Shares

Greif, Inc. (NYSE:GEF) SVP Timothy Bergwall sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $73.14, for a total transaction of $146,280.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 63,832 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,668,672.48. The trade was a 3.04% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Timothy Bergwall also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Wednesday, June 10th, Timothy Bergwall sold 2,000 shares of Greif stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $65.26, for a total transaction of $130,520.00.
• On Monday, May 11th, Timothy Bergwall sold 2,000 shares of Greif stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.66, for a total transaction of $135,320.00.

Greif Trading Down 3.0%

NYSE GEF opened at $71.36 on Tuesday. Greif, Inc. has a 52 week low of $55.75 and a 52 week high of $77.14. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $67.97 and a 200 day moving average price of $69.30. 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 cap of $3.29 billion, a PE ratio of 27.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.76 and a beta of 0.76.

Greif (NYSE:GEF) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The industrial products company reported $1.10 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.16 by ($0.06). Greif had a net margin of 7.27% and a return on equity of 7.50%. The firm had revenue of $1.07 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.10 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.19 earnings per share. Greif’s revenue was down .5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast 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 was paid on Wednesday, July 1st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, June 17th were issued a dividend of $0.62 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, June 17th. This represents a $2.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.5%. This is a boost from Greif’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.56. Greif’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 95.02%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Greif

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. American Century Companies Inc. grew its position in Greif by 1.3% during the 2nd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 21,494 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,397,000 after purchasing an additional 280 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Greif in the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,040,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership purchased a new stake in shares of Greif in the second quarter worth about $230,000. Jump Financial LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Greif in the second quarter worth about $609,000. Finally, Cerity Partners LLC grew its holdings in Greif by 50.3% during the second quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 6,193 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $403,000 after acquiring an additional 2,072 shares during the period. 45.74% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.