Janus Henderson Group PLC Lowers Stock Position in Graphic Packaging Holding (NYSE:GPK)

Janus Henderson Group PLC lowered its holdings in Graphic Packaging Holding (NYSE:GPK - Free Report) by 10.8% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,513,470 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 184,042 shares during the period. Janus Henderson Group PLC owned approximately 0.50% of Graphic Packaging worth $41,104,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of GPK. Barclays PLC raised its stake in Graphic Packaging by 8.8% during the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 637,199 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $18,854,000 after acquiring an additional 51,451 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its position in shares of Graphic Packaging by 8.0% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 10,610,233 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $313,957,000 after purchasing an additional 787,266 shares during the period. Hennessy Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in Graphic Packaging during the 4th quarter worth approximately $51,642,000. Avanza Fonder AB purchased a new stake in Graphic Packaging in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $190,000. Finally, Merit Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Graphic Packaging during the fourth quarter worth approximately $216,000. 99.67% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Graphic Packaging Price Performance

Shares of NYSE GPK traded down $0.11 during trading on Monday, reaching $23.45. The company had a trading volume of 290,579 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,513,676. The company has a current ratio of 1.46, a quick ratio of 0.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.71. Graphic Packaging Holding has a twelve month low of $20.86 and a twelve month high of $30.70. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $24.64 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $26.71. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.07 billion, a PE ratio of 10.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.10 and a beta of 0.81.

Graphic Packaging (NYSE:GPK - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 1st. The industrial products company reported $0.51 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.56 by ($0.05). Graphic Packaging had a net margin of 7.47% and a return on equity of 25.96%. The business had revenue of $2.12 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.14 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.66 EPS. Graphic Packaging's revenue for the quarter was down 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Graphic Packaging Holding will post 2.47 earnings per share for the current year.

Graphic Packaging declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock buyback program on Thursday, May 1st that authorizes the company to buyback $1.50 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the industrial products company to repurchase up to 23.3% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are generally an indication that the company's board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on GPK shares. Robert W. Baird cut their target price on Graphic Packaging from $36.00 to $32.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 5th. Raymond James reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $26.00 price objective (down previously from $30.00) on shares of Graphic Packaging in a report on Friday, May 2nd. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their target price on Graphic Packaging from $32.00 to $26.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 2nd. Finally, Truist Financial lowered their price target on shares of Graphic Packaging from $30.00 to $28.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 22nd. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $29.17.

Graphic Packaging Company Profile

Graphic Packaging Holding Company, together with its subsidiaries, designs, produces, and sells consumer packaging products to brands in food, beverage, foodservice, household, and other consumer products. It operates through three segments: Paperboard Manufacturing, Americas Paperboard Packaging, and Europe Paperboard Packaging.