Wells Fargo & Company Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Greif (NYSE:GEF) Stock Price

Greif (NYSE:GEF) had its price target decreased by stock analysts at Wells Fargo & Company from $76.00 to $70.00 in a research note issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an “equal weight” rating on the industrial products company’s stock. Wells Fargo & Company‘s target price suggests a potential upside of 11.97% from the stock’s current price.

Other research analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Robert W. Baird set a $75.00 price target on Greif in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Truist Financial increased their price objective on Greif from $71.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Zacks Research upgraded Greif from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Greif from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, December 6th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, Greif currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $73.75.

Greif Stock Down 1.3%

GEF stock opened at $62.52 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 1.23 and a quick ratio of 0.93. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.15, a P/E/G ratio of 0.48 and a beta of 0.95. Greif has a 52-week low of $48.23 and a 52-week high of $77.14. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $71.64 and its 200-day simple moving average is $65.88.

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Greif

In related news, EVP Bala Sathyanarayanan sold 2,731 shares of Greif stock in a transaction on Friday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $76.67, for a total transaction of $209,385.77. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 34,076 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,612,606.92. This trade represents a 7.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, SVP Gaylord Benner sold 2,800 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $75.58, for a total value of $211,624.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 7,163 shares in the company, valued at $541,379.54. This trade represents a 28.10% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders bought 22,252 shares of company stock valued at $1,971,735 and sold 54,211 shares valued at $3,950,846. 7.70% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Greif

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. raised its position in Greif by 33.3% during the fourth quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 689 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $47,000 after acquiring an additional 172 shares in the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd grew its position in Greif by 106.0% in the fourth quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 616 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $42,000 after acquiring an additional 317 shares in the last quarter. DGS Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Greif during the 4th quarter worth $247,000. Invesco Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of Greif by 119.1% during the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 325,951 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $22,067,000 after purchasing an additional 177,203 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vident Advisory LLC bought a new position in shares of Greif during the 4th quarter valued at $879,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 45.74% of the company’s stock.

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.