Greif (NYSE:GEF) CFO Sells $1,906,190.00 in Stock

Greif, Inc. (NYSE:GEF) CFO Lawrence Hilsheimer sold 21,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $88.66, for a total value of $1,906,190.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 25,825 shares in the company, valued at $2,289,644.50. This trade represents a 45.43% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

Greif Price Performance

Shares of NYSE GEF opened at $87.88 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $4.06 billion, a PE ratio of 27.55, a PEG ratio of 0.86 and a beta of 0.75. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $75.73 and a 200 day moving average of $71.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a current ratio of 1.29. Greif, Inc. has a one year low of $55.75 and a one year high of $90.57.

Greif (NYSE:GEF) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 28th. The industrial products company reported $1.61 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.11 by $0.50. Greif had a net margin of 7.53% and a return on equity of 8.09%. The business had revenue of $1.17 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.12 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.86 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 3.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts predict that Greif, Inc. will post 4.18 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Greif Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 1st. Investors of record on Wednesday, June 17th were issued a $0.62 dividend. This represents a $2.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, June 17th. This is a positive change from Greif’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.56. Greif’s payout ratio is presently 77.74%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have commented on GEF shares. Zacks Research raised Greif from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Greif from $74.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Weiss Ratings raised Greif from a “hold (c)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Truist Financial reissued a “hold” rating and issued a $97.00 price objective (up from $78.00) on shares of Greif in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Greif from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, August 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $83.00.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Advisors Preferred LLC acquired a new position in shares of Greif during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $401,000. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC increased its holdings in shares of Greif by 10.8% in the second quarter. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC now owns 27,528 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $2,051,000 after purchasing an additional 2,694 shares during the last quarter. Readystate Asset Management LP purchased a new position in Greif during the first quarter worth approximately $871,000. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund purchased a new position in Greif during the first quarter worth approximately $1,853,000. Finally, Sei Investments Co. boosted its stake in Greif by 61.5% during the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 15,165 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,017,000 after buying an additional 5,775 shares during the last quarter. 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.