Greif has reported a net income of $176.6m, or $3.00 per share, for the fiscal first quarter (Q1) 2026, up from $6.6m, or $0.13 per share, for the same period last year.
Excluding adjustments, net income climbed to $26.6m, or $0.48 per share, marking a year-on-year rise of 146.3%.
The company cited advancements in managing manufacturing expenses and reductions in selling, general and administrative costs as key factors, recording $65m in annualised cost savings so far out of a targeted $120m.
Adjusted EBITDA was reported at $122.5m for the quarter ended 31 December 2025, an increase from $98.8m a year ago.
Despite the rise in earnings, Greif’s net cash generated from operations declined by $41m year-on-year, resulting in an outflow of $24.4m for the period.
Adjusted free cash flow also showed a decline of $17.7m to negative $41m.
The prior year’s figures included contributions from its containerboard business, which was sold to Packaging Corporation of America last year for $1.8bn.
Greif’s total debt dropped to $944m after repayments of $1.86bn connected to the sale of its containerboard and timberlands businesses.
Net debt fell by approximately $1.94bn over the year, settling at $700.5m.
The company said that as of 1 October 2025, its integrated solutions segment has been renamed to innovative closure solutions.
This segment’s net sales increased slightly by $0.6m to $23m in Q1 2026 from the prior year level.
In Q1 2026, net sales for its customised polymer solutions division increased to $305.1m from $294.4m in Q1 2025.
Durable metal solutions' net sales fell by $1.1m to $354.8m.
During the quarter, net sales for sustainable fibre solutions decreased to $311.9m from $344m in Q1 2025.
For fiscal 2026, Greif provided low-end guidance estimates of adjusted EBITDA at $630m and adjusted free cash flow at $315m.
Greif CEO Ole Rosgaard said: “We delivered a 24.0% year-over-year increase in adjusted EBITDA, expanded margins across the business, and executed meaningful cost reductions, all in a muted demand environment.
“This performance underscores the strength of our portfolio, the effectiveness of our operating model, and our ability to convert execution into results. Our strategy is working, and we are positioned to continue delivering durable earnings and cash flow improvement.”
