Greif (NYSE:GEF) Share Price Crosses Above 200-Day Moving Average - What's Next?

Key Points

• Greif shares moved above their 200-day moving average, trading as high as $70.65 before last changing hands near $67.99. The move comes as the stock sits close to both its 50-day and 200-day averages.
• Wall Street sentiment remains cautious: analysts have recently trimmed price targets, with Wells Fargo cutting its target to $70 and Zacks downgrading the stock to a strong sell. The consensus rating is currently “Reduce,” with an average price target of $73.50.
• Recent results were mixed, as Greif missed earnings and revenue expectations in its latest quarterly report despite maintaining a 3.3% dividend yield. Insider selling was also notable, with executives selling shares over the past 90 days.

Greif, Inc. (NYSE:GEF - Get Free Report) shares crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $67.60 and traded as high as $70.65. Greif shares last traded at $67.9870, with a volume of 169,205 shares trading hands.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of Greif from $76.00 to $70.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, March 20th. Truist Financial decreased their price target on shares of Greif from $79.00 to $78.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday. Robert W. Baird set a $75.00 price target on shares of Greif in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Zacks Research cut shares of Greif from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 16th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Reduce" and an average price target of $73.50.

Greif Stock Performance

The firm has a market cap of $3.15 billion, a PE ratio of 26.05, a PEG ratio of 0.69 and a beta of 0.82. The company has a current ratio of 1.28, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $67.90 and its 200 day simple moving average is $67.60.

Greif (NYSE:GEF - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The industrial products company reported $1.10 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.16 by ($0.06). The business had revenue of $1.07 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.10 billion. Greif had a return on equity of 7.50% and a net margin of 7.27%.The business's quarterly revenue was down .5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.19 earnings per share. On average, research analysts forecast that Greif, Inc. will post 3.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Greif Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 16th were given a dividend of $0.56 per share. This represents a $2.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.3%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 16th. Greif's dividend payout ratio is currently 85.82%.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Timothy Bergwall sold 2,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $70.42, for a total transaction of $140,840.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 69,832 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,917,569.44. This represents a 2.78% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Bala Sathyanarayanan sold 2,731 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $76.67, for a total transaction of $209,385.77. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 34,076 shares in the company, valued at $2,612,606.92. This represents a 7.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 8,731 shares of company stock worth $633,426 over the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 7.70% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Greif

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd grew its holdings in 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 valued at $42,000 after purchasing an additional 317 shares during the last quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. grew its holdings in Greif by 33.3% during the 4th 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 last quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC bought a new position in Greif during the 4th quarter valued at about $84,000. Simplex Trading LLC grew its holdings in Greif by 399.5% during the 4th quarter. Simplex Trading LLC now owns 1,853 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $125,000 after purchasing an additional 1,482 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Leonteq Securities AG bought a new position in Greif during the 1st quarter valued at about $201,000. 45.74% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Greif Company Profile

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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