1,362 Shares in WestRock (NYSE:WRK) Purchased by GAMMA Investing LLC

GAMMA Investing LLC bought a new stake in WestRock (NYSE:WRK) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 1,362 shares of the basic materials company’s stock, valued at approximately $55,000.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of WRK. NBC Securities Inc. acquired a new stake in WestRock in the 3rd quarter worth $27,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC grew its position in WestRock by 268.7% during the fourth quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 789 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 575 shares in the last quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust increased its stake in WestRock by 59.0% during the fourth quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 862 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $36,000 after acquiring an additional 320 shares during the period. Clear Street Markets LLC raised its holdings in WestRock by 198.5% in the 3rd quarter. Clear Street Markets LLC now owns 1,000 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $36,000 after acquiring an additional 665 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CVA Family Office LLC bought a new stake in shares of WestRock in the 4th quarter worth approximately $60,000. 83.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

WestRock Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:WRK opened at $47.90 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 1.55 and a quick ratio of 0.95. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $47.44 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $42.57. WestRock has a fifty-two week low of $26.85 and a fifty-two week high of $49.67. The stock has a market capitalization of $12.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -7.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.48 and a beta of 1.10.

WestRock (NYSE:WRK) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 1st. The basic materials company reported $0.20 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.35 by ($0.15). The firm had revenue of $4.62 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.79 billion. WestRock had a negative net margin of 8.58% and a positive return on equity of 6.87%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.55 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that WestRock will post 1.93 EPS for the current fiscal year.

WestRock Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 22nd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, May 14th will be given a $0.3025 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, May 13th. This represents a $1.21 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.53%. WestRock’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -18.01%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Vicki L. Lostetter sold 3,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $42.77, for a total value of $149,695.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 92,117 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,939,844.09. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.49% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

WRK has been the topic of a number of research reports. Truist Financial boosted their price objective on WestRock from $40.00 to $48.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 4th. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of WestRock in a report on Thursday. They issued a “hold” rating on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada restated a “sector perform” rating and issued a $42.00 price objective on shares of WestRock in a research note on Friday, February 2nd. Seaport Res Ptn lowered shares of WestRock from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, January 29th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reissued an “equal weight” rating and issued a $45.00 target price (up previously from $42.00) on shares of WestRock in a research note on Thursday, January 11th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $43.00.

About WestRock

WestRock Company, together with its subsidiaries, provides fiber-based paper and packaging solutions in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. It operates through four segments: Corrugated Packaging, Consumer Packaging, Global Paper, and Distribution. The Corrugated Packaging segment produces containerboards, corrugated sheets, corrugated packaging, and preprinted linerboards to consumer and industrial products manufacturers, and corrugated box manufacturers.