Ball (NYSE:BALL) Issues Earnings Results

Ball (NYSE:BALL) released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday. The company reported $1.10 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.07 by $0.03, Zacks reports. Ball had a net margin of 6.61% and a return on equity of 18.76%. The firm had revenue of $4.19 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.78 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.02 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 23.9% on a year-over-year basis.

Here are the key takeaways from Ball’s conference call:

• Ball reaffirmed its 2026 outlook after global aluminum-can volumes rose 4.7% in Q3 and comparable diluted EPS increased 6.8%; year-to-date EPS was up 14%. Management remains confident in delivering more than 10% comparable EPS growth for the full year.
• Regional momentum was strongest in South America, where comparable operating earnings increased 19.5%, while EMEA earnings rose 3.7% and reached a record quarterly level. Global volume growth is running above Ball’s 2%-3% long-term target, and management expects 2027 volumes to remain in line with that range due to strong contract coverage.
• North American operating earnings declined 2.3% as Millersburg startup costs and other cost pressures offset favorable volume and price mix. Ball expects about $25 million of Millersburg startup costs for 2026, while a roughly $20 million Q3 metal-timing benefit is expected to reverse in Q4, resulting in only modest fourth-quarter EPS growth despite strong volumes.
• Ball plans to return at least $800 million to shareholders in 2026, including at least $600 million of share repurchases, while targeting approximately $900 million of free cash flow and year-end net leverage of 2.7 times EBITDA.
• The company is investing in new multi-line facilities in Germany and India, expected to ramp in late 2028 and 2029, respectively, supported by long-term customer commitments and expected EVA-accretive returns. Capacity constraints and operational friction remain in North America and EMEA, although management expects the acquired and newly built plants to become more productive over time.

Ball Stock Performance

NYSE:BALL traded down $3.93 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $64.14. 1,242,552 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,359,844. Ball has a one year low of $44.83 and a one year high of $68.29. The firm has a market capitalization of $16.98 billion, a PE ratio of 18.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 0.96. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $61.23 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $60.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.13, a quick ratio of 0.66 and a current ratio of 1.07.

Ball Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 1st will be given a dividend of $0.20 per share. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 1st. Ball’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 22.66%.

Insider Transactions at Ball

In other Ball news, SVP Mandy Glew sold 5,626 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $63.80, for a total value of $358,938.80. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 7,209 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $459,934.20. The trade was a 43.83% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.58% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

BALL has been the subject of a number of research reports. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their target price on shares of Ball from $77.00 to $73.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, October 13th. Citigroup lowered shares of Ball from a “buy” rating to a “reduce” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Truist Financial set a $78.00 price target on shares of Ball in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Mizuho set a $72.00 price objective on shares of Ball in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Ball from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $65.00 price objective for the company in a report on Friday, September 18th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $71.00.

Ball Company Profile

Ball Corporation is a global supplier of sustainable aluminum packaging. The company primarily manufactures aluminum beverage cans, bottles and cups used by beer, soft-drink, energy-drink and other beverage companies. Its products are designed to support brand presentation, product protection and recycling throughout the packaging lifecycle.

Ball serves customers across North and South America, Europe and other international markets through a network of manufacturing facilities. The company also develops and markets aluminum packaging products for additional consumer and household applications, including its reusable and recyclable Ball Aluminum Cup.

Founded in 1880 as a manufacturer of glass containers, Ball evolved into a major producer of metal packaging and became particularly known for its aluminum beverage cans.