Greif, Inc. (NYSE:GEF) Receives Consensus Rating of "Hold" from Analysts

Key Points

• Greif, Inc. has a consensus analyst rating of "Hold" from five covering analysts, with an average 12-month price target of $73.50.
• Recent analyst actions were mixed: Wells Fargo and Truist trimmed price targets while keeping neutral ratings, and Zacks Research upgraded the stock to hold but still maintained a Strong Sell recommendation overall.
• Latest quarterly results missed expectations, with Greif reporting $1.10 EPS versus $1.16 expected and revenue of $1.07 billion versus $1.10 billion expected; insiders also sold shares recently, adding to cautious sentiment.

Shares of Greif, Inc. (NYSE:GEF - Get Free Report) have been given an average rating of "Hold" by the five analysts that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation. The average 12-month price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $73.50.

GEF has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on Greif from $76.00 to $70.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, March 20th. Zacks Research raised shares of Greif from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday. Robert W. Baird set a $75.00 price objective on shares of Greif in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Truist Financial reduced their price objective on shares of Greif from $79.00 to $78.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, May 4th.

Trending Headlines about Greif

Here are the key news stories impacting Greif this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised its FY2027 earnings estimate for Greif to $4.48 per share from $4.15, and also lifted its Q2 2028, Q4 2027, and Q3 2027 estimates, which may support sentiment around longer-term earnings potential.
• Neutral Sentiment: The firm slightly increased its Q4 2026 EPS estimate to $1.20 from $1.19, a small adjustment that does not meaningfully change the near-term outlook.
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks cut its FY2026 EPS estimate to $3.86 from $4.14 and lowered its Q3 2026 forecast to $1.08 from $1.35, pointing to some pressure in the near-term earnings picture.
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the estimate changes, Zacks Research maintains a Strong Sell rating on Greif, which could continue to weigh on investor confidence.

Greif Trading Up 0.1%

NYSE:GEF opened at $64.32 on Monday. Greif has a 1 year low of $54.03 and a 1 year high of $77.14. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $66.51 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $68.06. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 1.28 and a quick ratio of 1.00. The company has a market cap of $2.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.64, a P/E/G ratio of 0.66 and a beta of 0.82.

Greif (NYSE:GEF - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The industrial products company reported $1.10 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.16 by ($0.06). The company had revenue of $1.07 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.10 billion. Greif had a net margin of 7.27% and a return on equity of 7.50%. Greif's revenue for the quarter was down .5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.19 earnings per share. As a group, analysts expect that Greif will post 3.87 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, SVP Timothy Bergwall sold 2,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, May 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.66, for a total transaction of $135,320.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 67,832 shares in the company, valued at $4,589,513.12. The trade was a 2.86% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 6,000 shares of company stock valued at $411,140. 7.70% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Greif

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Readystate Asset Management LP purchased a new position in Greif during the first quarter worth about $871,000. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund purchased a new stake in shares of Greif in the 1st quarter valued at about $1,853,000. Sei Investments Co. raised its holdings in shares of Greif by 61.5% in the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 15,165 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $1,017,000 after acquiring an additional 5,775 shares in the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Greif by 5.9% during the 1st quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 90,939 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $6,099,000 after acquiring an additional 5,071 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Greif by 193.0% during the 1st quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 17,717 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $1,188,000 after acquiring an additional 11,670 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 45.74% of the company's stock.

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.

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