Graphic Packaging (NYSE:GPK) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Wells Fargo & Company Analyst Says

Key Points

• Wells Fargo raised Graphic Packaging’s price target from $9 to $10 but maintained an “underweight” rating, implying roughly 14% downside from the reported $11.67 share price.
• Graphic Packaging exceeded quarterly estimates with $0.14 EPS and $2.19 billion in revenue, though revenue declined 0.7% year over year and EPS fell from $0.42 in the prior-year quarter.
• Analyst sentiment remains cautious: the stock has a consensus “Reduce” rating and an average target price of $11.14, while fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $0.65–$0.90 was below expectations.

Graphic Packaging (NYSE:GPK - Get Free Report) had its price objective lifted by equities researchers at Wells Fargo & Company from $9.00 to $10.00 in a report released on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an "underweight" rating on the industrial products company's stock. Wells Fargo & Company's price objective would indicate a potential downside of 14.31% from the company's current price.

GPK has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Truist Financial dropped their price target on shares of Graphic Packaging from $14.00 to $11.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 15th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "sell (d+)" rating on shares of Graphic Packaging in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. UBS Group increased their target price on Graphic Packaging from $10.00 to $12.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Citigroup lifted their target price on Graphic Packaging from $10.00 to $11.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Bank of America assumed coverage on Graphic Packaging in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $12.00 price target for the company. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Graphic Packaging currently has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and an average target price of $11.14.

Graphic Packaging Stock Down 1.9%

NYSE:GPK traded down $0.22 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $11.67. 1,005,741 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 6,742,644. The business's 50-day moving average price is $10.80 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $11.07. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.68 and a beta of 0.66. Graphic Packaging has a 1 year low of $8.78 and a 1 year high of $23.47. The company has a current ratio of 1.41, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.60.

Graphic Packaging (NYSE:GPK - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The industrial products company reported $0.14 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.12 by $0.02. Graphic Packaging had a return on equity of 12.62% and a net margin of 3.17%.The firm had revenue of $2.19 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.18 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.42 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was down .7% on a year-over-year basis. Graphic Packaging has set its FY 2026 guidance at 0.650-0.900 EPS. Analysts predict that Graphic Packaging will post 0.75 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Jeffrey Stafeil bought 17,878 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 7th. The shares were bought at an average price of $11.19 per share, with a total value of $200,054.82. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 17,878 shares in the company, valued at $200,054.82. The trade was a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 1.50% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Graphic Packaging

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Quarry LP increased its holdings in Graphic Packaging by 282.0% during the third quarter. Quarry LP now owns 1,547 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 1,142 shares during the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd increased its stake in shares of Graphic Packaging by 13,971.4% in the 4th quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 1,970 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 1,956 shares in the last quarter. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in Graphic Packaging by 2,321.1% in the 1st quarter. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 3,220 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 3,087 shares during the period. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its holdings in Graphic Packaging by 1,075.7% in the 2nd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 3,480 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 3,184 shares during the period. Finally, Bessemer Group Inc. lifted its position in Graphic Packaging by 259.4% during the first quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 4,148 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 2,994 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 99.67% of the company's stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Graphic Packaging

Here are the key news stories impacting Graphic Packaging this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Second-quarter adjusted EPS was $0.14, exceeding analyst expectations of approximately $0.11–$0.12. Revenue of $2.188 billion also edged past the $2.18 billion consensus estimate. Graphic Packaging Q2 Earnings Beat Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Management reported $247 million of adjusted EBITDA despite elevated inflation, while innovation-related sales contributed $40 million. The company also indicated that cash flow is positioned to rebound in 2026, potentially supporting debt reduction and financial flexibility. Graphic Packaging Holding Eyes 2026 Cash Flow Rebound
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually heavy options activity showed investors acquiring 28,164 call options, compared with typical daily call volume of about 768. While speculative, the activity suggests increased bullish interest in GPK.
• Neutral Sentiment: Revenue declined only 0.7% year over year, indicating relatively stable demand, but net income was $24 million and EPS fell sharply from $0.42 in the prior-year quarter. Graphic Packaging Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results
• Negative Sentiment: Fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $0.65–$0.90 was below the roughly $0.83 analyst consensus midpoint expectation and was characterized as a reduction to the full-year outlook. Revenue guidance of approximately $8.6 billion remained aligned with expectations.

About Graphic Packaging

Graphic Packaging Holding Company is a leading provider of sustainable paperboard packaging solutions, offering a broad portfolio of products designed for food, beverage and other consumer goods markets. The company specializes in the manufacture of containerboard, folding cartons and engineered fill materials, as well as beverage packaging systems including paperboard cups, carriers and related components.

Through a network of manufacturing facilities across North America, Europe and Latin America, Graphic Packaging serves a diverse customer base that includes major consumer packaged goods companies, quick-service restaurants and retail chains.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.

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