Green Plains (NASDAQ:GPRE) Announces Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.10 EPS

Green Plains (NASDAQ:GPRE) announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.07 by $0.10, FiscalAI reports. Green Plains had a negative return on equity of 8.70% and a negative net margin of 5.80%.The company had revenue of $428.85 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $536.56 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted ($0.86) earnings per share. Green Plains’s revenue for the quarter was down 26.6% on a year-over-year basis.

Here are the key takeaways from Green Plains’ conference call:

• The company raised its stated plant production capacity to 730 million gallons/year (ex-Fairmont) after plants ran above prior stated limits, with several facilities hitting historical volumes and record ethanol yields.
• Carbon capture is operational at three Nebraska plants with CO2 sequestered in Wyoming, the company booked $27.7 million of 45Z benefits in Q4 and expects at least $188 million of carbon-related adjusted EBITDA in 2026 (subject to volumes and CI factors).
• Results and the balance sheet improved materially — Q4 adjusted EBITDA was $49.1 million vs. -$18.2M a year ago, Green Plains refinanced near-term debt (new $200M notes due 2030), repurchased shares, and ended the quarter with ~$230M cash and significant revolver capacity.
• Monetization and accounting for 45Z credits remain uncertain — credits are recorded under ASC 740 with a valuation allowance, the company has not finalized a 2026 credit sale, and potential early adoption of ASU 2025-10 could change how credits are presented, creating timing/discounting risk.
• Management’s 2026 priorities focus on CI and energy-efficiency projects, debottlenecks, on-site grain storage, and disciplined capital allocation (including possible debt paydown or buybacks), while policy tailwinds (E15, 45Z regs) and hedged commodity positions support near-term outlook.

Green Plains Trading Up 9.4%

Shares of Green Plains stock opened at $13.85 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.79, a quick ratio of 1.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47. Green Plains has a twelve month low of $3.14 and a twelve month high of $14.26. The firm has a market capitalization of $967.15 million, a PE ratio of -7.33, a P/E/G ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 1.54. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $10.66 and its 200 day moving average price is $9.99.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on GPRE shares. UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of Green Plains from $7.00 to $12.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Green Plains from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, November 8th. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Green Plains in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on Green Plains from $12.00 to $14.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, Roth Mkm downgraded Green Plains from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $10.00 price target on the stock. in a research report on Thursday, November 6th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $11.63.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Green Plains

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in GPRE. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Green Plains in the third quarter valued at approximately $8,561,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its position in Green Plains by 79.5% during the third quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 857,671 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $7,539,000 after buying an additional 379,991 shares in the last quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board acquired a new position in Green Plains during the second quarter worth $2,276,000. Algert Global LLC grew its holdings in Green Plains by 100.3% in the 3rd quarter. Algert Global LLC now owns 615,230 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $5,408,000 after buying an additional 308,000 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Russell Investments Group Ltd. grew its holdings in Green Plains by 120.4% in the 3rd quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 492,862 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $4,332,000 after buying an additional 269,235 shares in the last quarter.

More Green Plains News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Earnings beat and positive EPS: Green Plains reported Q4 EPS of $0.17, well above consensus (~$0.07), signaling an operational swing from last year’s loss. Zacks: GPRE Q4 Earnings Surpass Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Profitability turnaround and stronger cash‑flow proxy: Net income attributable to the company was $11.9M and adjusted EBITDA was $49.1M in Q4 (vs negative EBITDA a year ago), showing improved operating results that support the rally. BusinessWire: Q4 & Full-Year 2025 Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Management commentary and slide deck available — investors can review the earnings call transcript and presentation for details on margin drivers, plant operations and liquidity. These materials explain the beat but don’t change the forward picture by themselves. Seeking Alpha: Q4 Results Presentation
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue shortfall and year-over-year decline: Revenue was $428.9M, missing consensus (~$536.6M) and down ~26.6% vs. last year — a meaningful demand/price/volume weakness that tempers enthusiasm from the EPS beat. MarketBeat: Q4 Results Summary & Call
• Negative Sentiment: Ongoing margin/earnings risk and cautious analyst view: The company still shows a negative net margin and return on equity, and some analysts model negative full‑year EPS (~-0.50), indicating investors should watch commodity spreads, ethanol demand, and guidance for sustainability of the recovery. Globe and Mail: Analysts Offer Insights on GPRE

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.