Greif (NYSE:GEF) EVP Acquires $158,653.18 in Stock

Greif, Inc. (NYSE:GEF) EVP Bala Sathyanarayanan bought 1,819 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 9th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $87.22 per share, with a total value of $158,653.18. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 8,549 shares in the company, valued at approximately $745,643.78. This represents a 27.03% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

Bala Sathyanarayanan also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Thursday, February 5th, Bala Sathyanarayanan acquired 1,811 shares of Greif stock. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $88.10 per share, for a total transaction of $159,549.10.
• On Thursday, February 5th, Bala Sathyanarayanan sold 10,838 shares of Greif stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $74.90, for a total transaction of $811,766.20.
• On Tuesday, February 3rd, Bala Sathyanarayanan sold 2,499 shares of Greif stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.29, for a total value of $180,652.71.
• On Tuesday, February 3rd, Bala Sathyanarayanan purchased 100 shares of Greif stock. The stock was acquired at an average price of $87.69 per share, for a total transaction of $8,769.00.
• On Wednesday, February 4th, Bala Sathyanarayanan acquired 200 shares of Greif stock. The shares were acquired at an average price of $89.22 per share, with a total value of $17,844.00.
• On Wednesday, December 10th, Bala Sathyanarayanan sold 7,000 shares of Greif stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $66.62, for a total value of $466,340.00.

Greif Price Performance

Greif stock traded up $0.61 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $75.76. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 250,358 shares, compared to its average volume of 221,659. The stock has a market cap of $3.51 billion, a PE ratio of 28.06, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.57 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a current ratio of 1.23, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $70.28 and a 200-day moving average price of $64.86. Greif, Inc. has a 52 week low of $48.23 and a 52 week high of $76.13.

Greif (NYSE:GEF) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 27th. The industrial products company reported $0.48 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.69 by ($0.21). Greif had a net margin of 7.52% and a return on equity of 8.46%. The company had revenue of $994.80 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.02 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.39 EPS. Greif’s revenue for the quarter was down 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Greif, Inc. will post 4.11 EPS for the current year.

Greif Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 1st. Investors of record on Thursday, December 18th were given a $0.56 dividend. This represents a $2.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, December 18th. Greif’s payout ratio is presently 82.96%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Greif

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans lifted its position in shares of Greif by 6.5% during the 3rd quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 895,344 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $53,506,000 after buying an additional 54,256 shares in the last quarter. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd bought a new position in shares of Greif in the second quarter valued at approximately $1,061,000. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Greif by 21.7% during the second quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 131,131 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $8,522,000 after acquiring an additional 23,422 shares during the last quarter. AlphaQuest LLC bought a new stake in Greif during the third quarter worth $1,220,000. Finally, First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. bought a new stake in Greif during the second quarter worth $690,000. 45.74% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

GEF has been the subject of several recent research reports. Robert W. Baird set a $75.00 price objective on Greif in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Greif from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, December 6th. Truist Financial boosted their target price on shares of Greif from $71.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Greif from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, January 5th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on Greif from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $74.50.

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.