Zacks Research Issues Positive Estimate for Greif Earnings

Key Points

• Zacks Research slightly raised its Q2 2027 EPS estimate for Greif to $1.07 but downgraded the stock to a "Strong Sell" and trimmed several FY2027–FY2028 forecasts, signaling increased downside risk.
• Greif recently missed its latest quarter ($0.48 EPS vs. $0.69 expected) and trades at a PE of 25.9; it pays a 3.2% dividend but has a high payout ratio (~83%).
• Analyst coverage is mixed-to-negative with a consensus rating of "Reduce" and a $73.75 target, while insiders made offsetting moves (an EVP sold shares; the CFO bought shares) and institutions own about 45.7% of the stock.

Greif, Inc. (NYSE:GEF - Free Report) - Investment analysts at Zacks Research lifted their Q2 2027 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Greif in a research note issued on Friday, April 17th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the industrial products company will post earnings per share of $1.07 for the quarter, up from their prior forecast of $1.06. Zacks Research has a "Strong Sell" rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Greif's current full-year earnings is $4.11 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Greif's Q3 2027 earnings at $1.18 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $1.16 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $4.15 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at $0.94 EPS, Q2 2028 earnings at $1.14 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $4.50 EPS.

Several other analysts also recently issued reports on the stock. Robert W. Baird set a $75.00 price objective on shares of Greif in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on Greif from $76.00 to $70.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, March 20th. Finally, Truist Financial increased their price target on Greif from $71.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Greif has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and a consensus target price of $73.75.

Greif Price Performance

GEF stock opened at $69.98 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $3.24 billion, a PE ratio of 25.92, a P/E/G ratio of 0.58 and a beta of 0.92. Greif has a 12 month low of $50.71 and a 12 month high of $77.14. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $69.84 and a 200 day moving average price of $66.94. The company has a current ratio of 1.23, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23.

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). The firm had revenue of $994.80 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.02 billion. Greif had a net margin of 7.52% and a return on equity of 8.46%. The company's revenue was down 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.39 EPS.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Greif

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in GEF. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. raised its holdings in 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 purchasing an additional 172 shares in the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. raised its position in shares of Greif by 36.2% in the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 662 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 176 shares during the last quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Greif by 4.3% in the 4th quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 5,682 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $385,000 after purchasing an additional 235 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. lifted its stake 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 buying an additional 280 shares during the period. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd lifted its position in 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 acquiring an additional 317 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 45.74% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at Greif

In other Greif news, EVP Bala Sathyanarayanan sold 2,731 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $76.67, for a total transaction of $209,385.77. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 34,076 shares in the company, valued at $2,612,606.92. This represents a 7.42% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CFO Lawrence A. Hilsheimer acquired 6,705 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $91.18 per share, for a total transaction of $611,361.90. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief financial officer owned 207,416 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $18,912,190.88. This represents a 3.34% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders have bought 22,252 shares of company stock valued at $1,971,735 and have sold 54,211 shares valued at $3,948,606. Company insiders own 7.70% of the company's stock.

Greif Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Investors of record on Monday, March 16th were issued a dividend of $0.56 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 16th. This represents a $2.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.2%. Greif's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 82.96%.

Trending Headlines about Greif

Here are the key news stories impacting Greif this week:

• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks made mixed, small estimate changes across quarters — a slight upward tweak to Q2 2027 (1.06 → 1.07) but multiple modest downgrades to Q1/Q2/Q3/Q4 and FY2027–FY2028 estimates, leaving consensus FY expectations near $4.11. Zacks Research note
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks downgraded Greif to a "Strong Sell" and lowered several near‑term and full‑year EPS forecasts (notable FY2028 cut to $4.50 from $4.65). This analyst action increases downside risk by signaling weaker expected earnings and may reduce demand from model‑driven or ratings‑sensitive investors. Zacks downgrade
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: a Greif senior vice president sold about $140,840 of stock. Insider sales can be perceived negatively by the market unless disclosed as routine or for personal reasons; investors should watch upcoming filings for details on timing and shares sold. Insider sale report

About Greif

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.