Green Plains (NASDAQ:GPRE) Rating Lowered to Strong Sell at Zacks Research

Green Plains (NASDAQ:GPRE) was downgraded by Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note issued to investors on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently commented on GPRE. UBS Group upped their price target on Green Plains from $12.00 to $20.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Oppenheimer reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $20.00 price objective on shares of Green Plains in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Green Plains in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Stephens raised their target price on shares of Green Plains from $18.00 to $20.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed a “market perform” rating on shares of Green Plains in a report on Friday. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Green Plains currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $15.43.

Green Plains Stock Performance

Shares of GPRE stock opened at $14.65 on Thursday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $15.94 and its 200 day moving average price is $15.38. The company has a quick ratio of 1.27, a current ratio of 1.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.03 billion, a PE ratio of 9.21 and a beta of 1.17. Green Plains has a 52-week low of $7.07 and a 52-week high of $19.65.

Green Plains (NASDAQ:GPRE) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 6th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.83 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.54 by $0.29. Green Plains had a return on equity of 14.52% and a net margin of 6.78%.The company had revenue of $446.22 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $542.38 million. During the same period last year, the firm earned ($1.09) EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Green Plains will post 1.83 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Trading of Green Plains

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of GPRE. WINTON GROUP Ltd acquired a new position in Green Plains during the second quarter worth $61,000. Quarry LP acquired a new stake in Green Plains in the third quarter valued at $67,000. Aquatic Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Green Plains in the third quarter valued at $95,000. Marex Group plc acquired a new stake in Green Plains in the fourth quarter valued at $98,000. Finally, Virtus Advisers LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Green Plains during the 4th quarter worth $98,000.

Key Green Plains News

Here are the key news stories impacting Green Plains this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Green Plains reported second-quarter adjusted earnings of $0.83 per share, well above consensus expectations, compared with a $1.09-per-share loss a year earlier. Net income attributable to the company was $67.1 million versus a $72.2 million loss in the prior-year quarter. Green Plains Reports Second Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Management highlighted growth in its carbon platform and margin expansion, suggesting that higher-value carbon-related operations are improving profitability even as the broader business generates less revenue. GPRE Q2 deep dive: Carbon platform growth and margin expansion amid revenue decline
• Positive Sentiment: The company is targeting approximately 95% facility utilization in 2026 and expects annual sustaining capital expenditures of about $25 million. Higher utilization could support operating leverage and cash generation. Green Plains outlines $25m annual sustaining capex as it targets 95 percent 2026 utilization
• Neutral Sentiment: Management’s earnings presentation and conference call provided additional detail on second-quarter results, carbon initiatives, utilization targets and capital allocation, but did not eliminate concerns about declining top-line performance. Green Plains Q2 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue fell to $446.2 million from $552.8 million a year earlier and missed analysts’ $542.4 million estimate by a wide margin. The revenue shortfall indicates weaker volume, pricing or product mix despite the earnings beat. Green Plains misses Q2 2026 revenue estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks added Green Plains to its Rank #5, or Strong Sell, list on August 7. The rating may reinforce investor concerns about the company’s revenue trajectory and still-negative net margin. New Strong Sell Stocks for August 7th

Green Plains Company Profile

Green Plains Inc is a leading producer of fuel-grade ethanol and related co-products in the United States. Headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, the company operates an integrated network of biorefineries that convert corn and other grains into renewable fuels. Through its production facilities, Green Plains supplies ethanol to domestic fuel markets and export channels, supporting efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote cleaner-burning transportation options.

Beyond ethanol, Green Plains manufactures a range of co-products that add value throughout the agricultural supply chain.