Greif (NYSE:GEF) Cut to “Strong Sell” at Zacks Research

Zacks Research lowered shares of Greif (NYSE:GEF) from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a research report sent to investors on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

GEF has been the subject of a number of other reports. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on shares of Greif from $76.00 to $70.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, March 20th. Robert W. Baird set a $75.00 target price on shares of Greif in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Truist Financial raised their target price on shares of Greif from $71.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $73.75.

Greif Trading Up 2.8%

Shares of NYSE:GEF opened at $69.98 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.92, a PEG ratio of 0.56 and a beta of 0.92. Greif has a 1-year low of $50.71 and a 1-year high of $77.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a current ratio of 1.23. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $69.84 and a 200 day moving average price of $66.89.

Greif (NYSE:GEF) last issued its earnings results 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 business had revenue of $994.80 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.02 billion. Greif had a return on equity of 8.46% and a net margin of 7.52%.The company’s quarterly revenue was down 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.39 earnings per share. On average, research analysts anticipate that Greif will post 4.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Greif Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Investors of record on Monday, March 16th were given a $0.56 dividend. This represents a $2.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.2%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 16th. Greif’s dividend payout ratio is 82.96%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Bala Sathyanarayanan sold 2,731 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $76.67, for a total value of $209,385.77. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 34,076 shares in the company, valued at approximately $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 can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CFO Lawrence A. Hilsheimer purchased 6,705 shares of Greif stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 4th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $91.18 per share, with a total value of $611,361.90. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 207,416 shares in the company, valued at $18,912,190.88. This represents a 3.34% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders have bought 22,252 shares of company stock worth $1,971,735 and have sold 54,211 shares worth $3,948,606. Insiders own 7.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Greif

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in GEF. Ameriprise Financial Inc. lifted its position in shares of Greif by 75.5% in the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 524,603 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $31,352,000 after acquiring an additional 225,659 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. lifted its position in Greif by 119.1% in the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 325,951 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $22,067,000 after buying an additional 177,203 shares in the last quarter. EVR Research LP purchased a new stake in Greif in the 4th quarter worth approximately $11,848,000. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC purchased a new stake in Greif in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $6,052,000. Finally, Deprince Race & Zollo Inc. lifted its position in Greif by 10.5% in the 4th quarter. Deprince Race & Zollo Inc. now owns 837,742 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $56,715,000 after buying an additional 79,813 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 45.74% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Greif

Here are the key news stories impacting Greif this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Company paid a recent quarterly dividend (paid Apr 1) supporting income‑oriented demand; Greif’s yield (~3.3%) and low leverage remain attractive to yield-seeking investors. MarketBeat Greif Profile
• Positive Sentiment: Institutional buying and existing large institutional ownership (~45.7%) provide a base of demand—multiple funds were noted as adding or holding positions, which can cushion downside pressure. MarketBeat Greif Profile
• Neutral Sentiment: Insider activity: SVP Timothy Bergwall sold 2,000 shares under a pre‑arranged Rule 10b5‑1 plan. Because the sale was pre‑scheduled and Bergwall retains a large holding, this is neutral from a governance/signaling perspective but can add short‑term supply. InsiderTrades Article
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research downgraded GEF to a “Strong Sell” and trimmed EPS estimates across multiple quarters and fiscal years (including cuts to FY2027/FY2028 and Q1/Q2/Q3/Q4 forecasts). The downgrade increases downside risk by reducing buy‑side confidence and could pressure the stock if other brokers follow. Zacks Research
• Negative Sentiment: Recent quarterly results (Jan 27) showed an EPS miss and a modest revenue decline year‑over‑year, which remains a negative fundamental backdrop that reinforces analyst caution. MarketBeat Greif Profile

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.