Jefferies Financial Group Inc. Has $8.68 Million Stock Holdings in Smurfit Westrock PLC $SW

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. boosted its position in Smurfit Westrock PLC (NYSE:SW) by 180.1% during the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 201,156 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 129,335 shares during the period. Jefferies Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in Smurfit Westrock were worth $8,676,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Cetera Investment Advisers lifted its position in shares of Smurfit Westrock by 6.8% during the 1st quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 23,515 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,060,000 after buying an additional 1,504 shares in the last quarter. Mediolanum International Funds Ltd raised its position in Smurfit Westrock by 0.9% during the first quarter. Mediolanum International Funds Ltd now owns 116,544 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,187,000 after purchasing an additional 1,076 shares in the last quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank boosted its position in Smurfit Westrock by 1.1% during the first quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 232,829 shares of the company’s stock valued at $10,491,000 after buying an additional 2,465 shares during the period. Ramirez Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Smurfit Westrock in the first quarter valued at about $1,785,000. Finally, Banque Cantonale Vaudoise purchased a new position in Smurfit Westrock during the 1st quarter valued at $2,123,000. Institutional investors own 83.38% of the company’s stock.

Smurfit Westrock Stock Performance

Shares of SW stock opened at $33.71 on Tuesday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $39.77 and a two-hundred day moving average of $43.12. The company has a quick ratio of 0.95, a current ratio of 1.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. The stock has a market capitalization of $17.60 billion, a PE ratio of 23.57 and a beta of 1.11. Smurfit Westrock PLC has a 52 week low of $32.73 and a 52 week high of $56.76.

Smurfit Westrock (NYSE:SW) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 29th. The company reported $0.58 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.68 by ($0.10). Smurfit Westrock had a net margin of 2.40% and a return on equity of 6.21%. The business had revenue of $8 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.89 billion. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that Smurfit Westrock PLC will post 3.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Smurfit Westrock Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 18th. Investors of record on Friday, November 14th will be issued a dividend of $0.4308 per share. This represents a $1.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 14th. Smurfit Westrock’s dividend payout ratio is currently 120.28%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Barclays decreased their price objective on shares of Smurfit Westrock from $63.00 to $47.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, November 10th. Seaport Res Ptn raised shares of Smurfit Westrock from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, October 6th. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price target on Smurfit Westrock from $55.00 to $54.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on Smurfit Westrock from $52.00 to $50.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Smurfit Westrock from $60.00 to $61.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, October 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Smurfit Westrock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $55.30.

Smurfit Westrock Company Profile

Smurfit Westrock Plc, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures, distributes, and sells containerboard, corrugated containers, and other paper-based packaging products in Ireland and internationally. The company produces containerboard that it converts into corrugated containers or sells to third parties, as well as produces other types of paper, such as consumer packaging board, sack paper, graphic paper, solid board and graphic board, and other paper-based packaging products, such as consumer packaging, solid board packaging, paper sacks, and other packaging products, including bag-in-box.