Graphic Packaging (NYSE:GPK) Hits New 52-Week Low on Analyst Downgrade

Graphic Packaging Holding Company (NYSE:GPK) hit a new 52-week low on Monday after Truist Financial lowered their price target on the stock from $23.00 to $20.00. Truist Financial currently has a hold rating on the stock. Graphic Packaging traded as low as $17.48 and last traded at $17.53, with a volume of 68347 shares. The stock had previously closed at $17.51.

GPK has been the topic of several other research reports. Royal Bank Of Canada downgraded Graphic Packaging from an “outperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating and dropped their price objective for the company from $25.00 to $21.00 in a research note on Thursday. Citigroup dropped their price objective on Graphic Packaging from $23.00 to $21.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, October 6th. UBS Group dropped their price objective on Graphic Packaging from $24.00 to $20.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, October 6th. BNP Paribas Exane cut shares of Graphic Packaging from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 25th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Graphic Packaging in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Graphic Packaging currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $23.00.

Insider Buying and Selling at Graphic Packaging

In other news, EVP Joseph P. Yost sold 30,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $22.72, for a total value of $681,600.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 255,203 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,798,212.16. This represents a 10.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Philip R. Martens sold 56,737 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $21.84, for a total transaction of $1,239,136.08. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 33,826 shares in the company, valued at approximately $738,759.84. The trade was a 62.65% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 93,752 shares of company stock worth $2,073,663. Insiders own 1.41% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Brooklyn Investment Group increased its holdings in shares of Graphic Packaging by 69.9% in the first quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 1,065 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 438 shares during the period. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new position in Graphic Packaging in the first quarter valued at $28,000. Bessemer Group Inc. increased its stake in Graphic Packaging by 130.7% in the second quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 1,382 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 783 shares during the last quarter. Wayfinding Financial LLC bought a new position in Graphic Packaging in the first quarter valued at $42,000. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. increased its stake in Graphic Packaging by 1,356.1% in the second quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 1,791 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 1,668 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 99.67% of the company’s stock.

Graphic Packaging Trading Down 0.1%

The firm has a market cap of $5.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.89 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.68, a current ratio of 1.43 and a quick ratio of 0.56. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $20.88 and a 200 day moving average of $22.24.

Graphic Packaging (NYSE:GPK) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, July 29th. The industrial products company reported $0.42 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.40 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $2.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.13 billion. Graphic Packaging had a return on equity of 21.13% and a net margin of 6.18%. Graphic Packaging has set its FY 2025 guidance at 1.900-2.20 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Graphic Packaging Holding Company will post 2.47 EPS for the current year.

Graphic Packaging Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 8th. Investors of record on Monday, September 15th were paid a $0.11 dividend. This represents a $0.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, September 15th. Graphic Packaging’s dividend payout ratio is currently 24.86%.

Graphic Packaging Company Profile

Graphic Packaging Holding Company, together with its subsidiaries, designs, produces, and sells consumer packaging products to brands in food, beverage, foodservice, household, and other consumer products. It operates through three segments: Paperboard Manufacturing, Americas Paperboard Packaging, and Europe Paperboard Packaging.