Greif, Inc. (NYSE:GEF) Shares Sold by Victory Capital Management Inc.

Victory Capital Management Inc. cut its stake in Greif, Inc. (NYSE:GEF) by 4.7% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 172,075 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 8,397 shares during the period. Victory Capital Management Inc. owned 0.36% of Greif worth $10,517,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. QRG Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in Greif by 5.6% in the fourth quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 3,966 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $242,000 after acquiring an additional 211 shares in the last quarter. Robertson Stephens Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Greif by 4.2% during the fourth quarter. Robertson Stephens Wealth Management LLC now owns 5,541 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $342,000 after purchasing an additional 221 shares during the last quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Greif during the fourth quarter valued at $31,000. Principal Securities Inc. increased its stake in Greif by 28.2% during the fourth quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 2,444 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $149,000 after purchasing an additional 537 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Quest Partners LLC increased its stake in Greif by 35.0% during the third quarter. Quest Partners LLC now owns 2,257 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $141,000 after purchasing an additional 585 shares during the last quarter. 45.74% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Greif Stock Performance

Shares of Greif stock opened at $54.80 on Friday. Greif, Inc. has a 12 month low of $53.43 and a 12 month high of $73.16. The stock has a market cap of $2.60 billion, a PE ratio of 12.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 0.91. The company has a quick ratio of 1.13, a current ratio of 1.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $59.90 and a 200-day simple moving average of $62.75.

Greif (NYSE:GEF) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 26th. The industrial products company reported $0.39 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.72 by ($0.33). The company had revenue of $1.27 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.26 billion. Greif had a net margin of 4.81% and a return on equity of 11.84%. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Greif, Inc. will post 4.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Greif Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 17th will be paid a dividend of $0.54 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 17th. This represents a $2.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.94%. Greif’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 61.71%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have weighed in on GEF. Sidoti began coverage on shares of Greif in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. They set a “buy” rating and a $93.00 target price for the company. Robert W. Baird lowered their price target on shares of Greif from $75.00 to $68.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 28th. Truist Financial reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $65.00 target price (down previously from $71.00) on shares of Greif in a research report on Monday, March 3rd. Bank of America decreased their target price on shares of Greif from $79.00 to $73.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on shares of Greif from $76.00 to $75.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, March 3rd. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Greif presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $77.00.

Insider Transactions at Greif

In other news, Director B Andrew Rose bought 3,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 20th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $70.20 per share, for a total transaction of $245,700.00. Following the purchase, the director now owns 3,500 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $245,700. This represents a ∞ increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CFO Lawrence A. Hilsheimer bought 550 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 20th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $67.88 per share, for a total transaction of $37,334.00. Following the acquisition, the chief financial officer now directly owns 162,151 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,006,809.88. This trade represents a 0.34 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders have acquired a total of 10,225 shares of company stock worth $657,901 in the last 90 days. 7.60% of the stock is owned by insiders.

About Greif

Greif, Inc engages in the production and sale of industrial packaging products and services worldwide. The company operates through Global Industrial Packaging; Paper Packaging & Services; and Land Management segments. The Global Industrial Packaging segment produces and sells industrial packaging products, including steel, fiber, and plastic drums; rigid and flexible intermediate bulk containers; closure systems for industrial packaging products; transit protection products; water bottles, and remanufactured and reconditioned industrial containers; and various services, such as container life cycle management, filling, logistics, warehousing, and other packaging services to chemicals, paints and pigments, food and beverage, petroleum, industrial coatings, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, mineral product, and other industries.