Insider Selling: Greif (NYSE:GEF) Director Sells 3,000 Shares of Stock

Key Points

• Greif Director Mark Emkes sold 3,000 shares at an average price of $87.04, generating $261,120 and reducing his ownership by 6.47% to 43,400 shares.
• Greif shares rose 0.8% to $90.05 and were near their 52-week high after the company reported quarterly EPS of $1.61, beating estimates of $1.11, while revenue increased 3.5% year over year to $1.17 billion.
• The company raised its quarterly dividend to $0.62 per share, equivalent to a 2.8% annual yield; analysts maintain a consensus “Hold” rating with an average price target of $83.

Greif, Inc. (NYSE:GEF - Get Free Report) Director Mark Emkes sold 3,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $87.04, for a total transaction of $261,120.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 43,400 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,777,536. The trade was a 6.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link.

Greif Stock Up 0.8%

GEF traded up $0.71 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $90.05. The company had a trading volume of 119,019 shares, compared to its average volume of 230,138. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $72.73 and its 200 day moving average price is $70.44. Greif, Inc. has a 52 week low of $55.75 and a 52 week high of $90.27. The company has a market capitalization of $4.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.50, a PEG ratio of 0.88 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.

Greif (NYSE:GEF - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 28th. The industrial products company reported $1.61 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.11 by $0.50. The company had revenue of $1.17 billion for 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%. The business's revenue was up 3.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.86 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Greif, Inc. will post 4.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Greif Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 1st. Investors of record on Wednesday, June 17th were paid a dividend of $0.62 per share. This is an increase from Greif's previous quarterly dividend of $0.56. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, June 17th. This represents a $2.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.8%. Greif's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 95.02%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have commented on GEF. Weiss Ratings raised Greif from a "hold (c)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Monday. Truist Financial reaffirmed a "hold" rating and set a $97.00 target price (up from $78.00) on shares of Greif in a research report on Tuesday. Zacks Research upgraded Greif from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Bank of America downgraded shares of Greif from a "neutral" rating to an "underperform" rating and set a $70.00 price target for the company. in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Greif from $74.00 to $90.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Greif presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $83.00.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Greif

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd lifted its position in Greif by 106.0% in 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 acquiring an additional 317 shares in the last quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. increased 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 worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 172 shares in the last quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC bought a new stake in Greif during the 4th quarter worth approximately $84,000. Simplex Trading LLC raised its stake in shares of Greif by 399.5% in the fourth quarter. Simplex Trading LLC now owns 1,853 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $125,000 after purchasing an additional 1,482 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Leonteq Securities AG purchased a new stake in shares of Greif in the first quarter worth approximately $201,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 45.74% of the company's stock.

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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