WestRock (NYSE:WRK) EVP Denise R. Singleton Sells 9,700 Shares

WestRock (NYSE:WRK) EVP Denise R. Singleton sold 9,700 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $51.46, for a total transaction of $499,162.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 74,946 shares in the company, valued at $3,856,721.16. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

WestRock Trading Up 0.5 %

WestRock stock traded up $0.24 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $51.40. The company had a trading volume of 2,179,048 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,138,258. The firm has a market cap of $13.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 43.11, a P/E/G ratio of 4.77 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a current ratio of 1.34. WestRock has a 1 year low of $26.85 and a 1 year high of $51.79. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $47.73 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $42.81.

WestRock (NYSE:WRK) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 2nd. The basic materials company reported $0.39 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.25 by $0.14. WestRock had a net margin of 1.57% and a return on equity of 5.85%. The firm had revenue of $4.73 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.75 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.77 EPS. The company’s revenue was down 10.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that WestRock will post 1.93 earnings per share for the current year.

WestRock Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 22nd. Stockholders 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 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.35%. WestRock’s payout ratio is presently 101.68%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On WestRock

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of WRK. NBC Securities Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of WestRock in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC lifted 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 valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 575 shares during the last quarter. OLD Point Trust & Financial Services N A acquired a new stake in WestRock in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Clear Street Markets LLC grew its holdings in WestRock by 198.5% in the third quarter. Clear Street Markets LLC now owns 1,000 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 665 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Parkside Financial Bank & Trust increased its position in shares of WestRock by 59.0% during the fourth quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 862 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 320 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 83.38% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently commented on WRK shares. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of WestRock in a report on Thursday. They set a “hold” rating on the stock. Argus upped their price target on shares of WestRock from $50.00 to $57.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of WestRock from $46.00 to $51.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated a “sector perform” rating and set a $42.00 price target on shares of WestRock in a report on Friday, February 2nd. Finally, Seaport Res Ptn downgraded shares of WestRock from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, January 29th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, WestRock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $47.00.

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.