Graphic Packaging Holding Company $GPK Shares Sold by Hodges Capital Management Inc.

Key Points

• Hodges Capital Management Inc. has significantly reduced its stake in Graphic Packaging Holding Company by 80.3%, now holding 106,664 shares after selling 433,980 shares in Q1.
• Graphic Packaging recently announced a quarterly dividend of $0.11 per share, with a total annualized yield of 2.1%.
• Despite recent sales from insiders, institutional investors hold 99.67% of the company’s stock, indicating strong institutional interest in Graphic Packaging.

Hodges Capital Management Inc. lessened its holdings in shares of Graphic Packaging Holding Company (NYSE:GPK - Free Report) by 80.3% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 106,664 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 433,980 shares during the quarter. Hodges Capital Management Inc.'s holdings in Graphic Packaging were worth $2,769,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of GPK. Captrust Financial Advisors increased its position in Graphic Packaging by 6.9% during the 4th quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 22,976 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $624,000 after purchasing an additional 1,490 shares in the last quarter. D. E. Shaw & Co. Inc. purchased a new position in Graphic Packaging in the fourth quarter valued at about $229,000. Millennium Management LLC raised its position in Graphic Packaging by 106.5% in the fourth quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 105,601 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $2,868,000 after purchasing an additional 54,466 shares during the period. NorthRock Partners LLC raised its position in Graphic Packaging by 101.9% in the fourth quarter. NorthRock Partners LLC now owns 30,536 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $829,000 after purchasing an additional 15,408 shares during the period. Finally, Nomura Holdings Inc. purchased a new position in Graphic Packaging in the fourth quarter valued at about $1,082,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.67% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at Graphic Packaging

In related news, Director Philip R. Martens sold 7,015 shares of Graphic Packaging stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.80, for a total transaction of $152,927.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 26,811 shares in the company, valued at $584,479.80. The trade was a 20.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Joseph P. Yost sold 30,000 shares of Graphic Packaging stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $22.72, for a total transaction of $681,600.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 255,203 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,798,212.16. This represents a 10.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 93,752 shares of company stock worth $2,073,663. Company insiders own 1.41% of the company's stock.

Graphic Packaging Stock Performance

GPK stock opened at $21.08 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.68, a quick ratio of 0.56 and a current ratio of 1.43. The stock's fifty day moving average is $22.28 and its two-hundred day moving average is $23.36. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.91, a PEG ratio of 7.04 and a beta of 0.75. Graphic Packaging Holding Company has a 1 year low of $20.38 and a 1 year high of $30.70.

Graphic Packaging (NYSE:GPK - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 29th. The industrial products company reported $0.42 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.40 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $2.20 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.13 billion. Graphic Packaging had a return on equity of 21.13% and a net margin of 6.18%. Graphic Packaging has set its FY 2025 guidance at 1.900-2.20 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Graphic Packaging Holding Company will post 2.47 EPS for the current year.

Graphic Packaging Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 8th. Investors of record on Monday, September 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.11 per share. This represents a $0.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 15th. Graphic Packaging's payout ratio is currently 24.86%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have issued reports on GPK. BNP Paribas Exane downgraded shares of Graphic Packaging from an "outperform" rating to a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 25th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on Graphic Packaging from $21.00 to $23.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Friday, July 18th. UBS Group assumed coverage on Graphic Packaging in a research note on Wednesday, June 4th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $24.00 price objective on the stock. Truist Financial reduced their price objective on Graphic Packaging from $24.00 to $23.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 11th. Finally, Bank of America reduced their price objective on Graphic Packaging from $31.00 to $28.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 9th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Graphic Packaging currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $26.38.

About Graphic Packaging

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.

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