Zacks Research Weighs in on Greif's Q3 Earnings (NYSE:GEF)

Key Points

• Zacks Research lowered its Q3 2026 EPS estimate for Greif to $1.07 from $1.08 and maintained a “Hold” rating. Analysts expect full-year earnings of approximately $3.82 per share.
• Analyst sentiment remains cautious: Greif has an average “Reduce” rating and a consensus price target of $74.25, below its reported opening price of $80.27.
• Greif raised its quarterly dividend to $0.62 per share, or $2.48 annualized, representing a 3.1% yield; however, its payout ratio is high at 95.02%.

Greif, Inc. (NYSE:GEF - Free Report) - Zacks Research reduced their Q3 2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Greif in a report released on Monday, July 27th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the industrial products company will post earnings of $1.07 per share for the quarter, down from their previous forecast of $1.08. Zacks Research currently has a "Hold" rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Greif's current full-year earnings is $3.82 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Greif's FY2026 earnings at $3.84 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $0.73 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $1.06 EPS and Q1 2028 earnings at $0.53 EPS.

Other equities analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Greif from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a report on Wednesday, June 17th. Bank of America lowered Greif from a "neutral" rating to an "underperform" rating and set a $70.00 target price for the company. in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Truist Financial dropped their target price on Greif from $79.00 to $78.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on Greif from $70.00 to $74.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Greif currently has an average rating of "Reduce" and an average target price of $74.25.

Greif Price Performance

Shares of GEF opened at $80.27 on Tuesday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $69.96 and a 200-day moving average price of $69.78. Greif has a fifty-two week low of $55.75 and a fifty-two week high of $80.77. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.70 billion, a PE ratio of 30.76, a PEG ratio of 0.85 and a beta of 0.76. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a current ratio of 1.28.

Greif (NYSE:GEF - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The industrial products company reported $1.10 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.16 by ($0.06). Greif had a net margin of 7.27% and a return on equity of 7.50%. The business had revenue of $1.07 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.10 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.19 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was down .5% on a year-over-year basis.

Institutional Trading of Greif

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in GEF. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. increased 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 valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 172 shares during the period. ProShare Advisors LLC boosted its position in Greif by 4.3% in the fourth quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 5,682 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $385,000 after buying an additional 235 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. boosted its position in Greif by 1.3% in the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 21,494 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $1,397,000 after buying an additional 280 shares during the last quarter. Personal CFO Solutions LLC increased its holdings 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 worth $264,000 after buying an additional 302 shares during the period. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd increased its holdings in Greif by 106.0% in the 4th quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 616 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $42,000 after buying an additional 317 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 45.74% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Greif

In related news, SVP Timothy Bergwall sold 2,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Friday, July 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $73.14, for a total value of $146,280.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 63,832 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,668,672.48. This represents a 3.04% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 6,000 shares of company stock worth $412,120 over the last 90 days. 7.70% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Greif Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 1st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, June 17th were issued a dividend of $0.62 per share. This represents a $2.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.1%. This is a boost from Greif's previous quarterly dividend of $0.56. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, June 17th. Greif's dividend payout ratio is presently 95.02%.

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.

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.