Ball (NYSE:BALL) Releases Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.01 EPS

Ball (NYSE:BALL) issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday. The company reported $0.91 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.90 by $0.01, Briefing.com reports. Ball had a net margin of 6.93% and a return on equity of 18.10%. The company had revenue of $3.35 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.11 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.84 EPS. Ball’s revenue was up 16.2% on a year-over-year basis. Ball updated its FY 2026 guidance to 3.930- EPS.

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

• Ball reported a record year in 2025 with $956 million adjusted free cash flow, record comparable diluted EPS of $3.57 (+13% YoY), and returned $1.54 billion to shareholders (including $1.32 billion in buybacks), reducing shares outstanding ~16% over two years.
• Commercial and operational momentum continued — global shift volumes outpaced the market (Q4 +6%, FY +4.1%), profit-per-can in North America and EMEA is >30% higher since 2019, and the Ball Business System plus about $500 million of cost savings (roughly three-quarters delivered) are driving margin improvement.
• Management expects 2026 to deliver its financial algorithm — targeting 10%+ comparable diluted EPS growth, >$900 million free cash flow, year-end net debt/EBITDA around 2.7x, and at least $600 million of share repurchases (total capital return ~$800 million).
• Near-term headwinds and capacity constraints are expected in 2026 — management flagged roughly $35 million of temporary costs (Millersburg startup and domesticating ends production), North America is capacity‑constrained until Millersburg ramps (startup costs back-half weighted), which could mute N. & C. America operating earnings this year.
• Strategic M&A to support growth — Ball closed the Benepack acquisition (Belgium & Hungary) to fill gaps in EMEA, expects volume growth above the top of its 3%–5% range and ~2x operating leverage as the assets are filled, though near-term ramp work will be required.

Ball Price Performance

Shares of BALL opened at $64.84 on Thursday. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $53.43 and a 200 day simple moving average of $51.83. Ball has a 52-week low of $43.51 and a 52-week high of $65.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a current ratio of 1.11. The firm has a market capitalization of $17.38 billion, a PE ratio of 19.53, a P/E/G ratio of 1.24 and a beta of 1.13.

Ball Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 2nd will be issued a dividend of $0.20 per share. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 2nd. Ball’s payout ratio is 24.10%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

BALL has been the subject of several recent research reports. Morgan Stanley set a $66.00 target price on shares of Ball in a research report on Wednesday. Robert W. Baird set a $75.00 price objective on Ball in a research note on Wednesday. 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. Mizuho boosted their target price on Ball from $58.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Ball from $60.00 to $70.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $67.92.

Key Stories Impacting Ball

Here are the key news stories impacting Ball this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 earnings and revenue beat: Ball reported $0.91 EPS vs. $0.90 est. and revenue of $3.35B vs. $3.11B est.; volumes and price/mix drove a 16.2% y/y revenue increase, supporting the beat and investor optimism. BALL’s Q4 Earnings Beat
• Positive Sentiment: Share-price momentum: Coverage notes the stock hit a 52‑week high after the results, which can attract momentum and technical buyers. Ball Hits New 52-Week High
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades/target raises from buy-side firms — Jefferies (PT to $71, buy), Mizuho (PT to $70, outperform) and Truist (PT to $75, buy) — increase buy-side conviction and can support further upside. Jefferies raise Mizuho raise Truist raise
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst note from JPMorgan: PT was raised to $60 but the firm kept a “neutral” rating — the new PT sits below the current market price, so it adds mixed signaling rather than clear upside. JPMorgan note
• Neutral Sentiment: Conference materials and analyst write-ups are available (call, slide deck, detailed metric comparisons) for investors who want to dig into segment performance and margin drivers. These help with conviction but are informational rather than catalytic. Press Release / Slide Deck
• Negative Sentiment: FY‑2026 EPS guidance trimmed vs. street: Ball set FY 2026 EPS at roughly 3.93 (below the ~3.98 consensus), which tempers some upside expectations and could cap longer-term multiple expansion. (Guidance referenced in earnings materials.)
• Negative Sentiment: Mixed margin commentary: While sales rose on volumes and mix, management noted higher costs weighed on margins — a potential headwind to near-term profitability if costs persist. Margins commentary

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in BALL. Invesco Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of Ball by 14.9% in the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 4,651,348 shares of the company’s stock valued at $234,521,000 after purchasing an additional 602,137 shares during the period. Boston Partners increased its position in Ball by 2.1% during the third quarter. Boston Partners now owns 3,816,297 shares of the company’s stock worth $192,402,000 after buying an additional 79,700 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE raised its stake in Ball by 17.1% in the third quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 2,406,154 shares of the company’s stock valued at $121,318,000 after buying an additional 351,060 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Ball by 1,465.3% in the second quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 1,314,786 shares of the company’s stock valued at $73,746,000 after buying an additional 1,230,791 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Man Group plc lifted its position in shares of Ball by 141.3% in the third quarter. Man Group plc now owns 1,248,500 shares of the company’s stock valued at $62,949,000 after buying an additional 731,076 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.51% of the company’s stock.

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.