Stifel Financial Corp Buys 10,131 Shares of Greif, Inc. (NYSE:GEF)

Stifel Financial Corp lifted its stake in shares of Greif, Inc. (NYSE:GEF - Free Report) by 29.8% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 44,176 shares of the industrial products company's stock after purchasing an additional 10,131 shares during the quarter. Stifel Financial Corp owned 0.09% of Greif worth $2,700,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Avior Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Greif during the fourth quarter valued at about $31,000. Principal Securities Inc. increased its holdings in Greif by 28.2% during the 4th quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 2,444 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $149,000 after acquiring an additional 537 shares during the period. QRG Capital Management Inc. lifted its stake in Greif by 5.6% in the 4th quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 3,966 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $242,000 after purchasing an additional 211 shares in the last quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC boosted its holdings in Greif by 26.6% in the 4th quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC now owns 5,133 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $314,000 after purchasing an additional 1,077 shares during the period. Finally, Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. grew its position in shares of Greif by 31.9% during the 4th quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 5,452 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $333,000 after purchasing an additional 1,320 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 45.74% of the company's stock.

Greif Trading Up 3.6 %

GEF stock opened at $54.33 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $2.58 billion, a PE ratio of 12.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 0.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a current ratio of 1.53. Greif, Inc. has a one year low of $48.23 and a one year high of $73.16. The company's 50 day moving average price is $54.03 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $60.42.

Greif (NYSE:GEF - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 26th. The industrial products company reported $0.39 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.72 by ($0.33). The business had revenue of $1.27 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.26 billion. Greif had a return on equity of 11.84% and a net margin of 4.81%. As a group, analysts predict that Greif, Inc. will post 4.11 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Greif Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 1st. Investors of record on Monday, March 17th were given a dividend of $0.54 per share. This represents a $2.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.98%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 17th. Greif's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 61.71%.

Insider Activity

In other Greif news, VP David C. Lloyd sold 2,263 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.24, for a total transaction of $125,008.12. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 7,580 shares in the company, valued at approximately $418,719.20. This trade represents a 22.99 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Frank Calhoun V. Miller purchased 1,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 11th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $58.50 per share, for a total transaction of $58,500.00. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 1,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $58,500. The trade was a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Corporate insiders own 7.60% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms recently issued reports on GEF. Bank of America dropped their price objective on Greif from $79.00 to $73.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on Greif from $76.00 to $75.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Monday, March 3rd. Truist Financial lowered their target price on shares of Greif from $65.00 to $56.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 22nd. Finally, Robert W. Baird cut their price target on shares of Greif from $75.00 to $68.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 28th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Greif currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $75.50.

Greif Profile

Greif, Inc engages in the production and sale of industrial packaging products and services worldwide. The company operates through Global Industrial Packaging; Paper Packaging & Services; and Land Management segments. The Global Industrial Packaging segment produces and sells industrial packaging products, including steel, fiber, and plastic drums; rigid and flexible intermediate bulk containers; closure systems for industrial packaging products; transit protection products; water bottles, and remanufactured and reconditioned industrial containers; and various services, such as container life cycle management, filling, logistics, warehousing, and other packaging services to chemicals, paints and pigments, food and beverage, petroleum, industrial coatings, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, mineral product, and other industries.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding GEF? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Greif, Inc. (NYSE:GEF - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.