Wells Fargo & Company Boosts Greif (NYSE:GEF) Price Target to $90.00

Key Points

• Wells Fargo raised Greif’s price target to $90 from $74 while maintaining an “equal weight” rating, implying only 3.59% upside from the stock’s current price.
• Greif reported stronger-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $1.61 versus the $1.11 consensus and revenue of $1.17 billion, up 3.5% year over year.
• Analyst sentiment remains cautious overall: Greif has a consensus “Reduce” rating and an average price target of $78.25, despite recent earnings momentum and the stock trading near its 52-week high.

Greif (NYSE:GEF - Get Free Report) had its target price hoisted by equities research analysts at Wells Fargo & Company from $74.00 to $90.00 in a research report issued on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an "equal weight" rating on the industrial products company's stock. Wells Fargo & Company's target price points to a potential upside of 3.59% from the stock's current price.

A number of other analysts also recently weighed in on GEF. Bank of America downgraded shares of Greif from a "neutral" rating to an "underperform" rating and set a $70.00 target price on the stock. in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Truist Financial dropped their price target on Greif from $79.00 to $78.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Zacks Research raised Greif from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded Greif from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 17th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and an average price target of $78.25.

Greif Price Performance

Shares of GEF stock traded down $0.33 on Thursday, reaching $86.89. The company's stock had a trading volume of 61,140 shares, compared to its average volume of 223,260. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $70.87 and its 200-day simple moving average is $69.98. Greif has a 1 year low of $55.75 and a 1 year high of $88.50. The company has a market capitalization of $4.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.90 and a beta of 0.76. The company has a current ratio of 1.28, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24.

Greif (NYSE:GEF - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The industrial products company reported $1.61 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.11 by $0.50. Greif had a net margin of 7.53% and a return on equity of 8.32%. The company had revenue of $1.17 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.12 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.86 earnings per share. Greif's revenue was up 3.5% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts forecast that Greif will post 3.81 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Greif

In related news, SVP Timothy Bergwall sold 2,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $73.14, for a total transaction of $146,280.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 63,832 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,668,672.48. This represents a 3.04% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 6,000 shares of company stock worth $412,120. 7.70% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. raised its holdings in shares of Greif by 33.3% in the fourth quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 689 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $47,000 after buying an additional 172 shares during the period. ProShare Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Greif by 4.3% during the 4th quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 5,682 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $385,000 after acquiring an additional 235 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. grew its position in Greif by 1.3% in the 2nd 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 last quarter. Personal CFO Solutions LLC grew its position in Greif by 8.4% in the 1st quarter. Personal CFO Solutions LLC now owns 3,902 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $264,000 after acquiring an additional 302 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd increased its stake in Greif by 106.0% in the fourth quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 616 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 317 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 45.74% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting Greif

Here are the key news stories impacting Greif this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Greif reported fiscal Q3 adjusted earnings of $1.61 per share, well above the $1.11 consensus estimate. Revenue rose 3.5% year over year to $1.17 billion, also exceeding expectations of $1.12 billion. Greif Reports Fiscal Third Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Management attributed the earnings strength to stronger pricing, cost optimization and reduced interest expense. Earnings increased substantially from $0.86 per share in the year-ago quarter, while the company maintained its existing outlook. Greif Earnings Beat Estimates in Q3 on Pricing and Cost Optimization
• Positive Sentiment: The results reinforce Greif’s recent operating momentum, with a 7.53% net margin and 8.32% return on equity. The earnings beat and intact guidance reduce near-term concerns about profitability and support the stock’s move toward its 52-week high. Greif Sets New 52-Week High on Better-Than-Expected Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Greif’s earnings call focused on the quarterly performance and the company’s continued pricing and productivity initiatives. Investors will likely monitor whether these actions can offset broader industrial-demand and input-cost pressures.
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research trimmed several longer-term EPS estimates, including forecasts for Q4 2026, fiscal 2027 and fiscal 2028, while retaining a Hold rating. The reductions were modest but suggest analysts remain cautious about the pace of future earnings growth.

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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