XML Financial LLC Increases Stake in Graphic Packaging Holding (NYSE:GPK)

XML Financial LLC grew its holdings in shares of Graphic Packaging Holding (NYSE:GPK) by 7.3% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 21,910 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,500 shares during the period. XML Financial LLC’s holdings in Graphic Packaging were worth $595,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of GPK. UMB Bank n.a. grew its holdings in Graphic Packaging by 546.6% during the third quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 944 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 798 shares during the period. Truvestments Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Graphic Packaging during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new stake in Graphic Packaging in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $73,000. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its stake 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 worth $127,000 after acquiring an additional 1,564 shares during the period. Finally, Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. lifted its holdings in Graphic Packaging by 13.7% during the second quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. now owns 5,816 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $152,000 after purchasing an additional 699 shares in the last quarter. 99.67% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Michael James Farrell sold 25,900 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $28.99, for a total value of $750,841.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 81,026 shares in the company, valued at $2,348,943.74. This trade represents a 24.22 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Charles D. Lischer sold 12,000 shares of Graphic Packaging stock in a transaction 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 $1,478,022.85. The trade was a 19.40 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 1.20% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently commented on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded shares of Graphic Packaging from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and raised their price objective for the company from $24.00 to $27.00 in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Truist Financial upped their price objective on Graphic Packaging from $30.00 to $32.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price target on Graphic Packaging from $35.00 to $34.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 17th. Citigroup reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $30.00 target price (down previously from $33.00) on shares of Graphic Packaging in a report on Monday, January 6th. Finally, StockNews.com cut shares of Graphic Packaging from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $32.37.

Graphic Packaging Trading Down 1.3 %

GPK stock opened at $27.93 on Thursday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $28.23 and a 200 day moving average price of $28.61. Graphic Packaging Holding has a fifty-two week low of $23.47 and a fifty-two week high of $30.70. The firm has a market cap of $8.38 billion, a PE ratio of 11.93 and a beta of 0.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.78, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a current ratio of 1.73.

Graphic Packaging (NYSE:GPK) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 29th. The industrial products company reported $0.64 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.68 by ($0.04). The business had revenue of $2.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.27 billion. Graphic Packaging had a return on equity of 28.26% and a net margin of 7.99%. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 5.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.74 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Graphic Packaging Holding will post 2.53 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Graphic Packaging Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, January 5th. Shareholders of record on Sunday, December 15th were given a dividend of $0.10 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 13th. This represents a $0.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.43%. Graphic Packaging’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 17.09%.

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.