Graphic Packaging Holding Company (NYSE:GPK) Holdings Decreased by Deutsche Bank AG

Key Points

• Deutsche Bank AG sold 1,153,938 shares of Graphic Packaging Holding Company, reducing its stake by 43.5%, leaving it with 1,497,363 shares valued at approximately $38.87 million.
• Despite Deutsche Bank's sell-off, institutional investors largely hold 99.67% of Graphic Packaging's stock, with notable recent purchases from firms like Wayfinding Financial LLC and Signaturefd LLC.
• Graphic Packaging's stock has faced target price cuts from several analysts, with a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $26.38, while the company recently reported a strong earnings beat of $0.42 EPS for the last quarter.

Deutsche Bank AG cut its holdings in shares of Graphic Packaging Holding Company (NYSE:GPK - Free Report) by 43.5% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 1,497,363 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 1,153,938 shares during the period. Deutsche Bank AG owned about 0.50% of Graphic Packaging worth $38,872,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in GPK. Wayfinding Financial LLC acquired a new stake in Graphic Packaging during the 1st quarter worth about $42,000. UMB Bank n.a. raised its holdings in shares of Graphic Packaging by 42.3% in the 1st quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 2,125 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $55,000 after purchasing an additional 632 shares during the period. Park Square Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Graphic Packaging in the 4th quarter worth approximately $79,000. Signaturefd LLC raised its holdings in shares of Graphic Packaging by 554.5% in the 1st quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 3,639 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $94,000 after purchasing an additional 3,083 shares during the period. Finally, Transce3nd LLC bought a new stake in Graphic Packaging during the 4th quarter valued at $161,000. 99.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Graphic Packaging

In other Graphic Packaging news, Director Philip R. Martens sold 7,015 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.80, for a total value of $152,927.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 26,811 shares of the company's stock, valued at $584,479.80. This trade represents a 20.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 1.41% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Graphic Packaging Price Performance

GPK traded down $0.13 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $22.50. 3,972,571 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,893,508. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $22.13 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $23.99. The company has a current ratio of 1.43, a quick ratio of 0.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.68. The company has a market capitalization of $6.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.71, a PEG ratio of 7.65 and a beta of 0.73. Graphic Packaging Holding Company has a 52-week low of $20.86 and a 52-week high of $30.70.

Graphic Packaging (NYSE:GPK - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 29th. The industrial products company reported $0.42 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.40 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $2.20 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.13 billion. Graphic Packaging had a net margin of 6.18% and a return on equity of 21.13%. On average, equities analysts forecast that Graphic Packaging Holding Company will post 2.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Graphic Packaging announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase plan on Thursday, May 1st that authorizes the company to buyback $1.50 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the industrial products company to purchase up to 23.3% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are typically an indication that the company's leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Graphic Packaging Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, October 5th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 15th will be given a $0.11 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 15th. This represents a $0.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.0%. Graphic Packaging's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 24.86%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Truist Financial decreased their price target on shares of Graphic Packaging from $24.00 to $23.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, July 11th. Raymond James Financial restated an "outperform" rating and set a $26.00 price target (down from $30.00) on shares of Graphic Packaging in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of Graphic Packaging from $21.00 to $23.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Friday, July 18th. UBS Group assumed coverage on shares of Graphic Packaging in a research report on Wednesday, June 4th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $24.00 price target for the company. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane lowered shares of Graphic Packaging from an "outperform" rating to a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 25th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $26.38.

Graphic Packaging Company Profile

Graphic Packaging Holding Company, together with its subsidiaries, designs, produces, and sells consumer packaging products to brands in food, beverage, foodservice, household, and other consumer products. It operates through three segments: Paperboard Manufacturing, Americas Paperboard Packaging, and Europe Paperboard Packaging.