WestRock (WRK) Scheduled to Post Earnings on Thursday

WestRock (NYSE:WRK) is scheduled to be releasing its earnings data before the market opens on Thursday, May 2nd. Analysts expect WestRock to post earnings of $0.25 per share for the quarter.

WestRock (NYSE:WRK) last posted 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 business had revenue of $4.62 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.79 billion. WestRock had a positive return on equity of 6.87% and a negative net margin of 8.58%. WestRock’s quarterly revenue was down 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.55 earnings per share. On average, analysts expect WestRock to post $2 EPS for the current fiscal year and $3 EPS for the next fiscal year.

WestRock Stock Performance

Shares of WRK opened at $47.49 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 1.55, a quick ratio of 0.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $46.94 and a 200-day moving average price of $42.16. The company has a market cap of $12.26 billion, a PE ratio of -7.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.49 and a beta of 1.10. WestRock has a 12-month low of $26.85 and a 12-month high of $49.67.

WestRock Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 21st. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 9th were given a dividend of $0.3025 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 8th. This represents a $1.21 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.55%. WestRock’s payout ratio is presently -18.01%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently weighed in on WRK shares. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of WestRock in a research report on Wednesday. They set a “hold” rating on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated a “sector perform” rating and issued a $42.00 price objective on shares of WestRock in a report on Friday, February 2nd. Seaport Res Ptn cut WestRock from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, January 29th. Wells Fargo & Company reaffirmed 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. Finally, Truist Financial lifted their price target on shares of WestRock from $40.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 4th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $43.00.

Insider Activity

In other WestRock news, insider Vicki L. Lostetter sold 3,500 shares of WestRock 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 legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.49% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.