Graphic Packaging (NYSE:GPK) Price Target Cut to $32.00 by Analysts at Robert W. Baird

Graphic Packaging (NYSE:GPK) had its price objective reduced by Robert W. Baird from $36.00 to $32.00 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. They currently have an outperform rating on the industrial products company’s stock.

Several other brokerages have also issued reports on GPK. Wells Fargo & Company raised Graphic Packaging from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and upped their target price for the stock from $24.00 to $27.00 in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Truist Financial upped their price objective on shares of Graphic Packaging from $30.00 to $32.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, January 6th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Graphic Packaging from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their price objective on Graphic Packaging from $35.00 to $34.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, October 17th. Finally, Citigroup reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $30.00 price objective (down previously from $33.00) on shares of Graphic Packaging in a report on Monday, January 6th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Graphic Packaging presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $31.70.

Graphic Packaging Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:GPK opened at $26.43 on Wednesday. Graphic Packaging has a one year low of $23.47 and a one year high of $30.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.78, a current ratio of 1.73 and a quick ratio of 0.72. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.29 and a beta of 0.85. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $27.93 and its 200-day moving average price is $28.63.

Graphic Packaging (NYSE:GPK) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 4th. The industrial products company reported $0.59 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.63 by ($0.04). Graphic Packaging had a net margin of 7.99% and a return on equity of 28.26%. The firm had revenue of $2.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.15 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.75 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 6.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Graphic Packaging will post 2.53 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Graphic Packaging Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, April 5th. Shareholders of record on Saturday, March 15th will be given a $0.11 dividend. This is a boost from Graphic Packaging’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.10. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 14th. This represents a $0.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.67%. Graphic Packaging’s payout ratio is presently 17.09%.

Insider Transactions at Graphic Packaging

In other news, CAO Charles D. Lischer sold 12,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $29.65, for a total transaction of $355,800.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 49,849 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,478,022.85. The trade was a 19.40 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 1.20% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Graphic Packaging

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in GPK. Creative Planning lifted its position in shares of Graphic Packaging by 14.8% in the 2nd quarter. Creative Planning now owns 11,082 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $290,000 after purchasing an additional 1,432 shares during the period. Cetera Investment Advisers lifted its holdings in Graphic Packaging by 3.3% in the second quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 107,962 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $2,830,000 after buying an additional 3,472 shares during the period. Sanctuary Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Graphic Packaging during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $711,000. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its position in Graphic Packaging by 57.0% during the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 4,308 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $127,000 after acquiring an additional 1,564 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fulton Bank N.A. grew its holdings in shares of Graphic Packaging by 2.6% during the 3rd quarter. Fulton Bank N.A. now owns 28,284 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $837,000 after acquiring an additional 721 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 99.67% of the company’s stock.

About Graphic Packaging

Graphic Packaging Holding Company, together with its subsidiaries, designs, produces, and sells consumer packaging products to brands in food, beverage, foodservice, household, and other consumer products. It operates through three segments: Paperboard Manufacturing, Americas Paperboard Packaging, and Europe Paperboard Packaging.