Principal Financial Group Inc. Has $58.50 Million Stake in Graphic Packaging Holding Company $GPK

Principal Financial Group Inc. reduced its stake in shares of Graphic Packaging Holding Company (NYSE:GPK) by 10.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 2,989,387 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 332,885 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned 1.01% of Graphic Packaging worth $58,502,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. American Century Companies Inc. raised its position in shares of Graphic Packaging by 19.1% during the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 22,022,347 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $464,011,000 after acquiring an additional 3,533,846 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Graphic Packaging in the second quarter valued at approximately $55,632,000. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC increased its position in Graphic Packaging by 8.5% during the 3rd quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 19,138,977 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $374,550,000 after purchasing an additional 1,502,681 shares during the period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA increased its position in Graphic Packaging by 11.8% during the 2nd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 11,570,040 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $243,781,000 after purchasing an additional 1,218,848 shares during the period. Finally, Invesco Ltd. raised its holdings in Graphic Packaging by 28.8% during the 2nd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 2,130,941 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $44,899,000 after purchasing an additional 477,085 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 99.67% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on GPK shares. Wells Fargo & Company lowered shares of Graphic Packaging from an “equal weight” rating to an “underweight” rating and reduced their price objective for the company from $18.00 to $12.00 in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Graphic Packaging in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Zacks Research downgraded Graphic Packaging from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $16.00 price objective on Graphic Packaging and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. Finally, Truist Financial cut their target price on Graphic Packaging from $20.00 to $18.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $18.38.

Graphic Packaging Stock Down 16.0%

GPK stock opened at $12.41 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.67, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a current ratio of 1.54. Graphic Packaging Holding Company has a fifty-two week low of $11.83 and a fifty-two week high of $28.19. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $15.32 and its 200 day simple moving average is $18.11. The company has a market cap of $3.66 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.30 and a beta of 0.62.

Graphic Packaging (NYSE:GPK) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 3rd. The industrial products company reported $0.29 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.34 by ($0.05). Graphic Packaging had a net margin of 5.94% and a return on equity of 19.98%. The firm had revenue of $2.10 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.04 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.59 EPS. The company’s revenue was up .4% compared to the same quarter last year. Graphic Packaging has set its FY 2026 guidance at 0.750-1.15 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Graphic Packaging Holding Company will post 2.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Graphic Packaging Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 7th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 15th were issued a dividend of $0.11 per share. This represents a $0.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.5%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 15th. Graphic Packaging’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 25.88%.

Graphic Packaging News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Graphic Packaging this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 revenue slightly beat expectations — sales were $2.10B vs. analyst estimates ~$2.04B, showing resilience in top‑line despite margin pressure. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Company reaffirmed a 2026 adjusted free‑cash‑flow target of $700–$800M, which supports the balance sheet and cash generation outlook if achieved. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Capital projects update — Waco is reported substantially complete and total projected spend disclosed, reducing future capex risk but reflecting recent heavy investment. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Company initiated a comprehensive review of operations/footprint and a selective portfolio review — could lead to cost actions or asset sales but outcome/timing are uncertain. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: EPS miss: Q4 EPS was $0.29 vs. consensus ~$0.34 and well below prior‑year $0.59, signaling margin compression and earnings deterioration. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: FY‑2026 EPS guidance (0.75–1.15) is materially below consensus (~1.78), driving the stock selloff — investors are repricing expectations for near‑term profitability. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Profitability and net income declined y/y (2025 net income $444M vs $658M in 2024; Q4 net income fell sharply), intensifying concerns about margin recovery. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction: heavy trading volume and headline coverage (MSN/Associated Press) highlight broad investor selling following the earnings/guidance update. Read More.

About Graphic Packaging

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.