Short Interest in Greif, Inc. (NYSE:GEF) Drops By 17.1%

Key Points

• Short interest fell 17.1% in March to 824,965 shares (about 1.9% of the float), leaving a short-interest ratio of roughly 2.7 days based on average volume.
• Insiders were net sellers last quarter—54,211 shares sold versus 22,252 purchased (EVP Bala Sathyanarayanan sold 10,838 shares) and insiders own about 7.7% of the stock. Greif also reported an EPS miss (Q: $0.48 vs. $0.69 expected) with revenue of $994.8M vs. $1.02B, and pays a $0.56 quarterly dividend (≈3.3% yield).

Greif, Inc. (NYSE:GEF - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large drop in short interest during the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totaling 824,965 shares, a drop of 17.1% from the March 15th total of 994,942 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 308,170 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.7 days. Currently, 1.9% of the company's shares are short sold.

Insider Transactions at Greif

In related news, EVP Bala Sathyanarayanan sold 10,838 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $74.90, for a total value of $811,766.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 36,807 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,756,844.30. This trade represents a 22.75% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Timothy Bergwall sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $74.11, for a total transaction of $148,220.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 73,832 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,471,689.52. The trade was a 2.64% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders have purchased 22,252 shares of company stock worth $1,971,735 and have sold 54,211 shares worth $3,948,606. 7.70% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Greif

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. raised its position in Greif by 33.3% in 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 during the period. Blue Trust Inc. raised its position in Greif by 36.2% in the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 662 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 176 shares during the period. ProShare Advisors LLC raised its position in Greif by 4.3% in the 4th quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 5,682 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $385,000 after purchasing an additional 235 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. increased its position in shares of Greif by 1.3% during the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 21,494 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $1,397,000 after acquiring an additional 280 shares during the period. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd increased its position in shares of Greif by 106.0% during the fourth quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 616 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $42,000 after acquiring an additional 317 shares during the period. 45.74% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages recently commented on GEF. Robert W. Baird set a $75.00 price target on shares of Greif in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Zacks Research raised shares of Greif from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, January 5th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on shares of Greif from $76.00 to $70.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, March 20th. Finally, Truist Financial increased their price target on shares of Greif from $71.00 to $79.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat, Greif currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $73.75.

Greif Trading Up 0.9%

Greif stock traded up $0.59 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $68.04. The stock had a trading volume of 190,067 shares, compared to its average volume of 223,319. The company has a quick ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 1.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23. Greif has a 52-week low of $50.64 and a 52-week high of $77.14. The firm has a market cap of $3.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.20, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.57 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a fifty day moving average of $70.07 and a 200 day moving average of $66.76.

Greif (NYSE:GEF - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 27th. The industrial products company reported $0.48 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.69 by ($0.21). Greif had a return on equity of 8.46% and a net margin of 7.52%.The firm had revenue of $994.80 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.02 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.39 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was down 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts anticipate that Greif will post 4.11 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Greif Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Investors of record on Monday, March 16th were given a $0.56 dividend. This represents a $2.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 16th. Greif's dividend payout ratio is 82.96%.

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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