Greif (NYSE:GEF) Upgraded to Hold at Zacks Research

Key Points

• Zacks Research upgraded Greif from strong sell to hold, signaling a less bearish view on the industrial packaging company.
• The firm cut near-term earnings estimates for Greif, including FY2026 EPS to $3.86 and Q3 2026 EPS to $1.08, while lifting longer-term forecasts such as FY2027 EPS to $4.48.
• Greif’s latest quarter missed Wall Street expectations, with EPS of $1.10 versus $1.16 expected and revenue of $1.07 billion versus $1.10 billion expected.

Greif (NYSE:GEF - Get Free Report) was upgraded by Zacks Research from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report issued on Thursday,Zacks.com reports. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Greif's Q3 2026 earnings at $1.08 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $1.20 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $3.86 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $1.42 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $1.25 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $4.48 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at $0.54 EPS and Q2 2028 earnings at $1.19 EPS.

GEF has been the subject of a number of other reports. Wells Fargo & Company lowered 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. Truist Financial lowered their target price on Greif from $79.00 to $78.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a report on Monday, May 4th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $75.00 target price on Greif in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, Greif presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $73.50.

Greif Price Performance

Shares of GEF opened at $64.32 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $2.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.66 and a beta of 0.82. The business has a 50-day moving average of $66.51 and a 200-day moving average of $67.98. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 1.28 and a quick ratio of 1.00. Greif has a 1 year low of $54.03 and a 1 year high of $77.14.

Greif (NYSE:GEF - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. 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 company's revenue for the quarter was down .5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.19 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Greif will post 3.87 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Greif news, SVP Timothy Bergwall sold 2,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.66, for a total value of $135,320.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 67,832 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,589,513.12. This trade represents a 2.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 6,000 shares of company stock valued at $411,140 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 7.70% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Greif

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in GEF. American Century Companies Inc. grew its stake in Greif by 1.3% in the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 21,494 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $1,397,000 after acquiring an additional 280 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Greif in the second quarter valued at approximately $1,040,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership acquired a new stake in Greif in the second quarter valued at approximately $230,000. Jump Financial LLC acquired a new stake in Greif in the second quarter valued at approximately $609,000. Finally, Cerity Partners LLC grew its stake in Greif by 50.3% in the second quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 6,193 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $403,000 after acquiring an additional 2,072 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 45.74% of the company's stock.

Greif News Summary

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.

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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