Barclays Has Lowered Expectations for Smurfit Westrock (NYSE:SW) Stock Price

Smurfit Westrock (NYSE:SW) had its price objective cut by analysts at Barclays from $56.00 to $54.00 in a research note issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an “overweight” rating on the stock. Barclays‘s target price would suggest a potential upside of 34.33% from the company’s current price.

A number of other research firms also recently weighed in on SW. Argus dropped their target price on Smurfit Westrock from $55.00 to $45.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, December 9th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on Smurfit Westrock from $61.00 to $60.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, March 6th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on Smurfit Westrock from $48.00 to $59.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 13th. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on Smurfit Westrock in a report on Tuesday, March 24th. They set a “buy” rating and a $49.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada raised their target price on shares of Smurfit Westrock from $51.00 to $57.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Smurfit Westrock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $55.73.

Smurfit Westrock Price Performance

Shares of SW stock traded up $0.35 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $40.20. 1,791,603 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 6,396,470. Smurfit Westrock has a fifty-two week low of $32.73 and a fifty-two week high of $52.65. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 1.48 and a quick ratio of 0.95. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $43.62 and its two-hundred day moving average is $40.84. The company has a market cap of $21.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.23 and a beta of 1.06.

Smurfit Westrock (NYSE:SW) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 27th. The company reported $0.34 earnings per share for the quarter. Smurfit Westrock had a net margin of 2.24% and a return on equity of 6.10%. The business had revenue of $7.58 billion during the quarter. Sell-side analysts forecast that Smurfit Westrock will post 3.25 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Ken Bowles sold 10,000 shares of Smurfit Westrock stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $51.26, for a total transaction of $512,600.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 151,644 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,773,271.44. This trade represents a 6.19% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Anthony P. J. Smurfit sold 40,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $51.54, for a total transaction of $2,061,600.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 1,642,610 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $84,660,119.40. This represents a 2.38% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Company insiders own 0.46% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Smurfit Westrock

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Smurfit Westrock by 113.3% in the third quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 640 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 340 shares during the period. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC bought a new stake in Smurfit Westrock in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $29,000. DV Equities LLC bought a new stake in Smurfit Westrock in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A. acquired a new position in Smurfit Westrock during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Finally, Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new position in Smurfit Westrock during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $33,000. Institutional investors own 83.38% of the company’s stock.

About Smurfit Westrock

Smurfit Westrock Plc, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures, distributes, and sells containerboard, corrugated containers, and other paper-based packaging products in Ireland and internationally. The company produces containerboard that it converts into corrugated containers or sells to third parties, as well as produces other types of paper, such as consumer packaging board, sack paper, graphic paper, solid board and graphic board, and other paper-based packaging products, such as consumer packaging, solid board packaging, paper sacks, and other packaging products, including bag-in-box.