Greif, Inc. (NYSE:GEF) Short Interest Down 12.2% in January

Greif, Inc. (NYSE:GEF) was the target of a large drop in short interest in the month of January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 856,502 shares, a drop of 12.2% from the December 31st total of 975,328 shares. Approximately 2.0% of the company’s stock are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 185,458 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 4.6 days. Based on an average daily volume of 185,458 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 4.6 days. Approximately 2.0% of the company’s stock are short sold.

Insider Buying and Selling at Greif

In other news, CEO Ole G. Rosgaard sold 9,733 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $70.24, for a total value of $683,645.92. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 64,707 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,545,019.68. The trade was a 13.07% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Gary R. Martz sold 5,000 shares of Greif stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.48, for a total transaction of $302,400.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 28,100 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,699,488. The trade was a 15.11% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders have bought 32,293 shares of company stock worth $2,145,733 and have sold 70,584 shares worth $4,408,749. Company insiders own 7.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Greif

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Benjamin Edwards Inc. raised its position in Greif by 9.2% during the fourth quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. now owns 10,363 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $702,000 after acquiring an additional 870 shares in the last quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA grew its stake in shares of Greif by 14.9% during the 4th quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 3,854 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $261,000 after purchasing an additional 500 shares during the period. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank grew its position in Greif by 17.5% during the fourth quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 7,128 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $483,000 after buying an additional 1,063 shares during the period. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. grew its position in shares of Greif by 59.8% during the 4th quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. now owns 3,368 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $236,000 after acquiring an additional 1,261 shares during the period. Finally, Deprince Race & Zollo Inc. grew its holdings in Greif by 10.5% in the fourth quarter. Deprince Race & Zollo Inc. now owns 837,742 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $56,715,000 after purchasing an additional 79,813 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 45.74% of the company’s stock.

Greif Stock Performance

GEF opened at $71.74 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $3.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.54 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a quick ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 1.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $69.18 and its 200-day moving average price is $64.52. Greif has a 52-week low of $48.23 and a 52-week high of $74.00.

Greif (NYSE:GEF) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The industrial products company reported $0.48 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.69 by ($0.21). Greif had a return on equity of 8.46% and a net margin of 7.52%.The company had revenue of $994.80 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.02 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.39 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Greif will post 4.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Greif Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 1st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, December 18th were given a dividend of $0.56 per share. This represents a $2.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, December 18th. Greif’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 85.82%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Zacks Research upgraded Greif from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Greif in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Robert W. Baird set a $75.00 price target on shares of Greif in a research report on Thursday. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Greif from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Truist Financial boosted their price objective on shares of Greif from $71.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $74.50.

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.