Greif Bros Corporation (GEF)

Short-term

Turnover ratios

Based on the provided data for Greif Bros Corporation, let's analyze the activity ratios:

1. Inventory Turnover:
- In 2020, the inventory turnover ratio was 12.26, indicating that the company sold and replaced its inventory approximately 12.26 times during the year.
- The ratio decreased to 8.94 in 2021, slightly indicating a slowdown in inventory turnover.
- However, there was a significant improvement in 2022, with the ratio increasing to 12.56, suggesting better inventory management.
- In 2023 and 2024, the inventory turnover ratios remained relatively stable at 12.03 and 10.96, respectively.

2. Receivables Turnover:
- The data shows that receivables turnover figures are not available (denoted by '\u2014') for the years provided. This lack of data could indicate that the company does not have significant accounts receivable.

3. Payables Turnover:
- Similarly, payables turnover data is not provided for any of the years considered. Without this information, it's challenging to assess how quickly the company pays its suppliers.

4. Working Capital Turnover:
- The working capital turnover ratio measures how effectively the company is using its working capital to generate sales.
- In 2020, the ratio was 14.92, indicating that for every dollar of working capital, the company generated $14.92 in sales.
- The ratio increased to 15.87 in 2021, suggesting improved efficiency in the use of working capital.
- However, the ratio declined to 14.37 in 2022 and further to 12.14 in 2023, indicating a decrease in sales generated per dollar of working capital.
- In 2024, the working capital turnover ratio decreased to 10.15, showing a continued decline in the efficient utilization of working capital for generating sales.

In conclusion, the analysis of Greif Bros Corporation's activity ratios reveals fluctuations in inventory turnover and working capital turnover over the years, which may signal changes in operational efficiency and effectiveness in managing inventory and working capital. However, the absence of data for receivables turnover and payables turnover limits a comprehensive assessment of the company's overall activity performance.

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Average number of days

Based on the provided data for Greif Bros Corporation, we can analyze the activity ratios as follows:

1. Days of Inventory on Hand (DOH):
- In October 2020, the company had 29.77 days of inventory on hand.
- This increased to 40.83 days by October 2021, indicating a buildup of inventory.
- However, in the following years, the DOH decreased, reaching 29.07 days by October 2022, 30.35 days by October 2023, and 33.31 days by October 2024.
- Overall, fluctuations in the DOH suggest variations in inventory management efficiency over the years.

2. Days of Sales Outstanding (DSO):
- The data indicates that there is no information available for Days of Sales Outstanding (DSO) for any of the years provided.
- Without DSO data, it is challenging to assess the company's ability to collect receivables promptly.

3. Number of Days of Payables:
- Similarly, there is no data available for the Number of Days of Payables for any of the years specified.
- The absence of information on payables turnover hinders our ability to evaluate the company's payment practices and liquidity management.

In conclusion, based on the given data, we observe fluctuations in inventory turnover for Greif Bros Corporation over the years, while information on receivables and payables turnover is not available for a comprehensive analysis of the company's overall activity ratios.

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Long-term

In analyzing Greif Bros Corporation's long-term activity ratios, we primarily focus on two key ratios - the Fixed Asset Turnover and the Total Asset Turnover.

1. Fixed Asset Turnover:
- Fixed Asset Turnover measures how efficiently a company utilizes its fixed assets to generate sales.
- The trend for Greif Bros' Fixed Asset Turnover over the past years shows an overall increasing pattern, from 2.96 in October 31, 2020, to 3.71 in October 31, 2022, suggesting improved efficiency in utilizing its fixed assets.
- However, there was a slight decline to 2.77 in October 31, 2023, before the data for October 31, 2024, is unavailable.
- An increasing Fixed Asset Turnover ratio indicates that the company is generating more sales per dollar invested in fixed assets, which is generally a positive indicator of operational efficiency.

2. Total Asset Turnover:
- Total Asset Turnover measures how efficiently a company uses its total assets to generate revenue.
- Greif Bros Corporation's Total Asset Turnover showed fluctuation over the period, starting at 0.82 in October 31, 2020, reaching a peak of 1.16 in October 31, 2022, and then decreasing to 0.88 in October 31, 2023.
- The ratio then decreased to 0.82 in October 31, 2024, potentially indicating a decrease in sales generated per dollar of total assets.
- While an increasing Total Asset Turnover ratio suggests better asset utilization efficiency, the inconsistent trend in Greif Bros' data warrants further investigation to understand the causes of these fluctuations.

In conclusion, Greif Bros Corporation's long-term activity ratios, particularly the Fixed Asset Turnover and Total Asset Turnover ratios, indicate varying levels of efficiency in utilizing fixed and total assets to generate sales over the analyzed period. Further analysis and comparison with industry benchmarks would provide more insights into the company's operational performance.