Smurfit Westrock (NYSE:SW) Stock Price Up 2.4% - Here's Why

Smurfit Westrock Ltd (NYSE:SW - Get Free Report) rose 2.4% during trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $44.62 and last traded at $44.46. Approximately 428,750 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 91% from the average daily volume of 4,567,593 shares. The stock had previously closed at $43.43.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

SW has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Citigroup increased their price objective on Smurfit Westrock from $61.00 to $62.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, January 6th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on Smurfit Westrock from $66.00 to $64.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 11th. Truist Financial initiated coverage on Smurfit Westrock in a report on Tuesday, January 21st. They set a "buy" rating and a $62.00 price objective on the stock. Argus initiated coverage on Smurfit Westrock in a report on Thursday, December 5th. They set a "buy" rating and a $62.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Barclays increased their price objective on Smurfit Westrock from $60.00 to $68.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, December 11th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Smurfit Westrock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $60.70.

Smurfit Westrock Price Performance

The company has a market cap of $23.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 82.08 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $51.79 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $50.69. The company has a current ratio of 1.37, a quick ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72.

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Smurfit Westrock (NYSE:SW - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 12th. The company reported $0.34 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.67 by ($0.33). Smurfit Westrock had a return on equity of 6.16% and a net margin of 0.63%. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Smurfit Westrock Ltd will post 3.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Smurfit Westrock Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 18th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 14th will be issued a dividend of $0.4308 per share. This represents a $1.72 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.82%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 14th. This is a positive change from Smurfit Westrock's previous quarterly dividend of $0.30. Smurfit Westrock's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 312.73%.

Insider Transactions at Smurfit Westrock

In other Smurfit Westrock news, insider Ken Bowles sold 24,225 shares of Smurfit Westrock stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.06, for a total value of $1,333,828.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 111,458 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,136,877.48. The trade was a 17.85 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Alvaro Henao sold 4,000 shares of Smurfit Westrock stock in a transaction on Monday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $53.90, for a total value of $215,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 44,361 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,391,057.90. The trade was a 8.27 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.49% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Smurfit Westrock

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of SW. Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC bought a new stake in shares of Smurfit Westrock during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Versant Capital Management Inc acquired a new stake in shares of Smurfit Westrock during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB grew its stake in shares of Smurfit Westrock by 117.7% during the fourth quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 516 shares of the company's stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 279 shares during the period. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators acquired a new stake in shares of Smurfit Westrock during the fourth quarter worth $30,000. Finally, University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. acquired a new stake in shares of Smurfit Westrock during the fourth quarter worth $30,000. Institutional investors own 83.38% of the company's stock.

About Smurfit Westrock

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.