Zacks Research Issues Optimistic Forecast for Greif Earnings

Key Points

• Zacks Research raised its FY2026 EPS estimate for Greif to $4.31 from $3.84, above the current consensus of $4.18, while maintaining a “Hold” rating. The firm also issued estimates for subsequent 2027–2028 periods, including FY2028 EPS of $4.65.
• Greif’s latest quarterly results exceeded expectations, with EPS of $1.61 versus the $1.11 consensus and revenue of $1.17 billion versus $1.12 billion expected. Revenue increased 3.5% year over year.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed, with a consensus “Hold” rating and an $83 target price, while Greif increased its quarterly dividend to $0.62 per share, implying a 2.8% yield. Insiders sold nearly 98,000 shares over the last quarter.

Greif, Inc. (NYSE:GEF - Free Report) - Research analysts at Zacks Research upped their FY2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of Greif in a report issued on Tuesday, August 18th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the industrial products company will post earnings of $4.31 per share for the year, up from their previous estimate of $3.84. Zacks Research currently has a "Hold" rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Greif's current full-year earnings is $4.18 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Greif's Q2 2027 earnings at $1.08 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $1.43 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $0.91 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at $0.73 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $4.65 EPS.

Greif (NYSE:GEF - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The industrial products company reported $1.61 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.11 by $0.50. Greif had a net margin of 7.53% and a return on equity of 8.09%. The company had revenue of $1.17 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.12 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.86 EPS. Greif's quarterly revenue was up 3.5% on a year-over-year basis.

A number of other research analysts have also issued reports on the stock. Truist Financial reiterated a "hold" rating and issued a $97.00 target price (up from $78.00) on shares of Greif in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Bank of America cut shares of Greif from a "neutral" rating to an "underperform" rating and set a $70.00 price target for the company. in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Weiss Ratings raised Greif from a "hold (c)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Wall Street Zen upgraded Greif from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 8th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on Greif from $74.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $83.00.

Greif Stock Up 0.9%

Shares of Greif stock opened at $87.58 on Thursday. Greif has a 12-month low of $55.75 and a 12-month high of $90.57. The company has a quick ratio of 0.99, a current ratio of 1.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $78.07 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $71.69. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.45, a PEG ratio of 0.85 and a beta of 0.75.

Greif Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced 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 represents a $2.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, June 17th. This is an increase from Greif's previous quarterly dividend of $0.56. Greif's dividend payout ratio is currently 77.74%.

Insider Transactions at Greif

In other news, EVP Bala Sathyanarayanan sold 1,146 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $88.60, for a total transaction of $101,535.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 21,323 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,889,217.80. This represents a 5.10% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Mark A. Emkes sold 3,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $87.04, for a total transaction of $261,120.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 43,400 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,777,536. This represents a 6.47% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 97,987 shares of company stock worth $8,498,748. 7.70% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Greif

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd grew its holdings in shares of Greif by 106.0% during the 4th 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 in the last quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. raised its stake 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 valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 172 shares in the last quarter. 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 valued at $125,000 after purchasing an additional 1,482 shares in the last quarter. Leonteq Securities AG bought a new position in Greif in the first quarter worth $201,000. Finally, Man Group plc bought a new position in Greif in the fourth quarter worth $201,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 45.74% of the company's stock.

More Greif News

Here are the key news stories impacting Greif this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks raised several earnings forecasts. FY2026 EPS was increased to $4.31 from $3.84, FY2028 EPS to $4.65 from $4.48, Q1 2028 EPS to $0.73 from $0.53, Q2 2027 EPS to $1.08 from $1.06, and Q3 2027 EPS to $1.43 from $1.41. These upgrades point to improved expectations for Greif’s profitability over the coming periods.
• Positive Sentiment: Recent earnings performance provides additional support. Greif’s latest EPS and revenue both surpassed analyst expectations, and the company’s year-over-year revenue growth suggests resilient demand for its industrial packaging products.
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks maintained a “Hold” rating. The revisions do not represent a change in the firm’s overall recommendation, limiting the strength of the bullish signal. The current full-year consensus estimate remains $4.18 per share.
• Negative Sentiment: Some future estimates were reduced. Zacks cut FY2027 EPS to $4.15 from $4.45, Q4 2027 EPS to $0.91 from $1.24, Q4 2026 EPS to $1.12 from $1.18, Q1 2027 EPS to $0.72 from $0.73, and Q2 2028 EPS to $1.05 from $1.18. These reductions suggest potential pressure on earnings in certain upcoming quarters.

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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