AlphaQuest LLC Has $496,000 Stock Position in Graphic Packaging Holding (NYSE:GPK)

AlphaQuest LLC lowered its stake in Graphic Packaging Holding (NYSE:GPK) by 32.0% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 18,253 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 8,596 shares during the period. AlphaQuest LLC’s holdings in Graphic Packaging were worth $496,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Barings LLC acquired a new stake in Graphic Packaging in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,383,000. Amundi boosted its position in Graphic Packaging by 6.7% in the fourth quarter. Amundi now owns 4,799,090 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $128,178,000 after buying an additional 302,168 shares in the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. boosted its position in Graphic Packaging by 8.7% in the fourth quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 30,629 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $832,000 after buying an additional 2,441 shares in the last quarter. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich lifted its holdings in shares of Graphic Packaging by 27.7% during the fourth quarter. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich now owns 423,560 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $11,953,000 after purchasing an additional 91,825 shares during the period. Finally, Edgestream Partners L.P. lifted its holdings in shares of Graphic Packaging by 195.8% during the fourth quarter. Edgestream Partners L.P. now owns 246,148 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $6,685,000 after purchasing an additional 162,934 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.67% of the company’s stock.

Graphic Packaging Price Performance

GPK stock opened at $26.27 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $7.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.16, a PEG ratio of 2.10 and a beta of 0.81. The company has a quick ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 1.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.71. Graphic Packaging Holding has a 12-month low of $25.13 and a 12-month high of $30.70. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $27.03 and its 200 day simple moving average is $28.36.

Graphic Packaging (NYSE:GPK) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 4th. The industrial products company reported $0.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.63 by ($0.04). The firm had revenue of $2.10 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.15 billion. Graphic Packaging had a net margin of 7.47% and a return on equity of 25.96%. Graphic Packaging’s quarterly revenue was down 6.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.75 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Graphic Packaging Holding will post 2.47 earnings per share for the current year.

Graphic Packaging Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, April 5th. Shareholders of record on Saturday, March 15th will be paid a $0.11 dividend. This is an increase from Graphic Packaging’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.10. This represents a $0.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.68%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 14th. Graphic Packaging’s payout ratio is 20.37%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Citigroup reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $30.00 price target (down previously from $33.00) on shares of Graphic Packaging in a report on Monday, January 6th. Robert W. Baird cut their price target on shares of Graphic Packaging from $36.00 to $32.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 5th. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded shares of Graphic Packaging from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $24.00 to $27.00 in a report on Monday, January 6th. Finally, Truist Financial lifted their price target on shares of Graphic Packaging from $30.00 to $32.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, January 6th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Graphic Packaging currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $31.70.

Graphic Packaging Company Profile

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.