Graphic Packaging Holding Company (NYSE:GPK) Receives $14.51 Average Price Target from Brokerages

Shares of Graphic Packaging Holding Company (NYSE:GPK) have been assigned an average rating of “Reduce” from the twelve analysts that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and nine have issued a hold rating on the company. The average 1 year price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $13.7333.

GPK has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Graphic Packaging in a research report on Friday, March 27th. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price objective on shares of Graphic Packaging from $13.00 to $10.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, March 20th. Robert W. Baird set a $15.00 price objective on shares of Graphic Packaging in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Graphic Packaging from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of Graphic Packaging from $9.00 to $8.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday.

Graphic Packaging Stock Performance

Graphic Packaging stock opened at $9.55 on Tuesday. Graphic Packaging has a twelve month low of $8.78 and a twelve month high of $25.81. The company has a quick ratio of 0.52, a current ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.50. The company has a market capitalization of $2.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 6.45 and a beta of 0.69. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $10.75 and its 200 day moving average is $14.23.

Graphic Packaging (NYSE:GPK) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, March 2nd. The industrial products company reported $0.24 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Graphic Packaging had a return on equity of 16.58% and a net margin of 5.15%.The business had revenue of $2.10 billion during the quarter. On average, equities research analysts predict that Graphic Packaging will post 2.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Graphic Packaging Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 8th. Investors of record on Sunday, March 15th were given a $0.11 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 13th. This represents a $0.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.6%. Graphic Packaging’s dividend payout ratio is 29.73%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Graphic Packaging news, CEO Robbert Rietbroek bought 44,278 shares of Graphic Packaging stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 4th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $11.32 per share, with a total value of $501,226.96. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer owned 44,278 shares in the company, valued at approximately $501,226.96. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 1.41% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Graphic Packaging

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of GPK. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Graphic Packaging by 3.0% in the 2nd quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 18,379 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $387,000 after buying an additional 539 shares in the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Graphic Packaging by 17.1% during the 4th quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 4,450 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $67,000 after acquiring an additional 651 shares during the period. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans boosted its holdings in shares of Graphic Packaging by 0.9% during the 2nd quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 71,049 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,497,000 after acquiring an additional 660 shares during the last quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. grew its stake in shares of Graphic Packaging by 1.1% in the third quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. now owns 65,067 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,273,000 after acquiring an additional 711 shares during the period. Finally, Hsbc Holdings PLC raised its holdings in shares of Graphic Packaging by 5.4% during the second quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 15,485 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $326,000 after purchasing an additional 791 shares during the last quarter. 99.67% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Graphic Packaging Company Profile

Graphic Packaging Holding Company is a leading provider of sustainable paperboard packaging solutions, offering a broad portfolio of products designed for food, beverage and other consumer goods markets. The company specializes in the manufacture of containerboard, folding cartons and engineered fill materials, as well as beverage packaging systems including paperboard cups, carriers and related components.

Through a network of manufacturing facilities across North America, Europe and Latin America, Graphic Packaging serves a diverse customer base that includes major consumer packaged goods companies, quick-service restaurants and retail chains.