Greif (NYSE:GEF) CFO Sells $1,906,190.00 in Stock

Key Points

• Greif CFO Lawrence Hilsheimer sold 21,500 shares at an average price of $88.66, generating $1.91 million. His remaining stake fell by 45.43% to 25,825 shares.
• Greif reported a strong quarter, with earnings per share of $1.61 versus the $1.11 consensus estimate and revenue of $1.17 billion, up 3.5% year over year.
• The company raised its quarterly dividend to $0.62 per share, or $2.48 annually, implying a 2.8% yield. Analysts remain mixed, with a consensus “Hold” rating and an $83 price target.

Greif, Inc. (NYSE:GEF - Get Free Report) CFO Lawrence Hilsheimer sold 21,500 shares of Greif stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $88.66, for a total value of $1,906,190.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 25,825 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,289,644.50. The trade was a 45.43% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link.

Greif Stock Down 1.6%

Greif stock traded down $1.42 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $87.26. The company's stock had a trading volume of 235,754 shares, compared to its average volume of 231,518. The company has a market cap of $4.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.35, a P/E/G ratio of 0.87 and a beta of 0.75. The company has a quick ratio of 0.99, a current ratio of 1.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $74.26 and a 200-day simple moving average of $70.80. Greif, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $55.75 and a fifty-two week high of $90.57.

Greif (NYSE:GEF - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The industrial products company reported $1.61 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.11 by $0.50. The firm had revenue of $1.17 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.12 billion. Greif had a net margin of 7.53% and a return on equity of 8.09%. Greif's quarterly revenue was up 3.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.86 earnings per share. On average, research analysts expect that Greif, Inc. will post 4.18 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Greif Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 1st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, June 17th were given a dividend of $0.62 per share. This represents a $2.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.8%. This is a boost from Greif's previous quarterly dividend of $0.56. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, June 17th. Greif's payout ratio is 77.74%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of GEF. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd boosted its position in shares of Greif by 106.0% during the 4th quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 616 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 317 shares in the last quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. lifted its stake in shares of Greif by 33.3% in the fourth quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 689 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 172 shares during the period. Simplex Trading LLC boosted its holdings in Greif by 399.5% during the fourth quarter. Simplex Trading LLC now owns 1,853 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $125,000 after buying an additional 1,482 shares in the last quarter. Man Group plc purchased a new stake in Greif during the fourth quarter worth about $201,000. Finally, Leonteq Securities AG acquired a new position in Greif during the first quarter worth about $201,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 45.74% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently weighed in on GEF shares. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Greif from a "hold (c)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Greif from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Truist Financial reaffirmed a "hold" rating and issued a $97.00 target price (up from $78.00) on shares of Greif in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. Wall Street Zen raised Greif from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday. Finally, Bank of America cut Greif from a "neutral" rating to an "underperform" rating and set a $70.00 price target on the stock. in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $83.00.

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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