Ball (NYSE:BALL) Given New $73.00 Price Target at Citigroup

Ball (NYSE:BALL) had its price objective trimmed by Citigroup from $74.00 to $73.00 in a report issued on Monday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a buy rating on the stock.

Other research analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Robert W. Baird set a $75.00 price target on shares of Ball in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $66.00 price objective on shares of Ball in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of Ball from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Truist Financial increased their price objective on shares of Ball from $69.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Mizuho increased their price objective on shares of Ball from $58.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $68.93.

Ball Trading Up 2.1%

Shares of Ball stock opened at $63.61 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 0.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.29. Ball has a 12-month low of $44.83 and a 12-month high of $68.29. The firm has a market capitalization of $16.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.16, a PEG ratio of 1.24 and a beta of 1.14. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $63.14 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $55.18.

Ball (NYSE:BALL) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $0.91 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.90 by $0.01. Ball had a net margin of 6.93% and a return on equity of 18.12%. The business had revenue of $3.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.11 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.84 EPS. Ball’s revenue for the quarter was up 16.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Ball has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.930- EPS. Analysts predict that Ball will post 3.48 EPS for the current year.

Ball Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 16th. Investors of record on Monday, March 2nd were issued a dividend of $0.20 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 2nd. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.3%. Ball’s dividend payout ratio is 24.10%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, SVP Kathleen Pitre sold 10,660 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 sale, the senior vice president directly owned 36,772 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,450,118.36. This represents a 22.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, SVP Fauze Villatoro purchased 1,551 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 4th. The shares were 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 directly owned 13,778 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $888,818.78. This represents a 12.69% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 0.58% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ball

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. GoalVest Advisory LLC purchased a new position in Ball during the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Board of the Pension Protection Fund purchased a new position in Ball during the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Triumph Capital Management purchased a new position in Ball during the third quarter valued at $26,000. Gilpin Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Ball during the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, Harbour Investments Inc. lifted its holdings in Ball by 44.1% during the fourth quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. now owns 725 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 222 shares in the last quarter. 86.51% of the stock is 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.