Zacks Research Issues Negative Outlook for Ball Earnings

Ball Corporation (NYSE:BALL) – Equities research analysts at Zacks Research cut their Q1 2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Ball in a report released on Thursday, April 9th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the company will earn $0.85 per share for the quarter, down from their prior forecast of $0.86. The consensus estimate for Ball’s current full-year earnings is $3.48 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Ball’s FY2026 earnings at $3.95 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $1.13 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $4.49 EPS and Q1 2028 earnings at $1.13 EPS.

BALL has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Ball in a research note on Monday, December 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Ball from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Mizuho increased their target price on Ball from $58.00 to $70.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Robert W. Baird set a $75.00 target price on Ball in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $66.00 target price on Ball in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $69.00.

Ball Stock Down 1.0%

BALL opened at $62.26 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $16.57 billion, a PE ratio of 18.75, a P/E/G ratio of 1.25 and a beta of 1.14. The company has a quick ratio of 0.75, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.29. Ball has a 52 week low of $44.83 and a 52 week high of $68.29. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $63.00 and its 200 day simple moving average is $54.99.

Ball (NYSE:BALL) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $0.91 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.90 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $3.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.11 billion. Ball had a return on equity of 18.12% and a net margin of 6.93%.The firm’s revenue was up 16.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.84 earnings per share. Ball has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.930- EPS.

Ball Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 2nd were issued a $0.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 2nd. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. Ball’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 24.10%.

Insider Activity

In other Ball news, SVP Fauze Villatoro bought 1,551 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 4th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $64.51 per share, for a total transaction of $100,055.01. Following the completion of the acquisition, the senior vice president owned 13,778 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $888,818.78. This trade represents a 12.69% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, SVP Kathleen Pitre sold 10,660 shares of Ball stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $66.63, for a total transaction of $710,275.80. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 36,772 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,450,118.36. The trade was a 22.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Company insiders own 0.58% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ball

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Hsbc Holdings PLC lifted its holdings in shares of Ball by 11.2% during the fourth quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 1,946,218 shares of the company’s stock valued at $103,178,000 after purchasing an additional 195,573 shares during the last quarter. Downshift Financial LLC purchased a new position in shares of Ball during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $491,000. Corient Private Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Ball by 69.2% during the fourth quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 65,948 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,495,000 after purchasing an additional 26,978 shares during the last quarter. Arwa LLC purchased a new position in shares of Ball during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $501,000. Finally, MidFirst Bank purchased a new position in shares of Ball during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,869,000. 86.51% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ball Company Profile

Ball Corporation is a leading provider of sustainable aluminum packaging solutions and advanced aerospace technologies. Headquartered in Broomfield, Colorado, the company serves customers in the beverage, food and aerosol markets through a global network of manufacturing facilities. With an emphasis on sustainability and innovation, Ball designs and produces metal cans, bottles and ends that support recycling and reduce environmental impact.

The company’s packaging segment specializes in beverage cans for soft drinks, beer and energy drinks, as well as metal packaging for food and personal care applications.