Greif (NYSE:GEF) Reaches New 1-Year High – Time to Buy?

Greif, Inc. (NYSE:GEF) reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $72.50 and last traded at $72.38, with a volume of 17645 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $71.89.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

Greif Stock Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 1.18, a current ratio of 1.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.51 and a beta of 0.96. The company’s 50 day moving average is $67.52 and its 200-day moving average is $64.27.

Greif Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 1st. Investors of record on Thursday, December 18th were paid a dividend of $0.56 per share. This represents a $2.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, December 18th. Greif’s dividend payout ratio is 71.11%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Greif

In other news, SVP Timothy Bergwall sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $71.54, for a total value of $143,080.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 58,678 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,197,824.12. This represents a 3.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Bala Sathyanarayanan sold 7,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $66.62, for a total value of $466,340.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 37,725 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,513,239.50. The trade was a 15.65% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders acquired 32,293 shares of company stock worth $2,145,733 and sold 70,584 shares worth $4,408,749. 7.70% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Greif

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in GEF. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans grew its holdings in shares of Greif by 6.5% in the third quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 895,344 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $53,506,000 after acquiring an additional 54,256 shares in the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. increased its holdings in Greif by 75.5% during the third quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 524,603 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $31,352,000 after buying an additional 225,659 shares during the last quarter. Medina Value Partners LLC raised its position in Greif by 19.3% in the third quarter. Medina Value Partners LLC now owns 372,250 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $22,246,000 after acquiring an additional 60,338 shares during the period. Systematic Financial Management LP grew its position in shares of Greif by 0.9% during the 2nd quarter. Systematic Financial Management LP now owns 312,534 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $20,312,000 after acquiring an additional 2,817 shares during the period. Finally, Invesco Ltd. lifted its stake in Greif by 16.3% in the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 148,748 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $8,889,000 after purchasing an additional 20,858 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 45.74% of the company’s stock.

About Greif

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.