Zacks Research Issues Optimistic Outlook for Ball Earnings

Key Points

• Zacks Research raised Ball’s Q3 2026 EPS estimate to $1.05 from $1.04, while forecasting $3.99 EPS for fiscal 2026. Full-year current earnings consensus stands at $4.01 per share.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive view, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $71.15; 10 analysts rate the stock Buy, compared with two Holds and one Sell.
• Ball recently exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $1.03 EPS versus a $0.99 consensus and $4 billion in revenue, up 19.7% year over year. The company also pays a quarterly dividend of $0.20, yielding approximately 1.3% annually.

Ball Corporation (NYSE:BALL - Free Report) - Equities researchers at Zacks Research increased their Q3 2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of Ball in a research note issued to investors on Thursday, October 15th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the company will earn $1.05 per share for the quarter, up from their prior forecast of $1.04. The consensus estimate for Ball's current full-year earnings is $4.01 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Ball's FY2026 earnings at $3.99 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $1.14 EPS and Q4 2027 earnings at $1.24 EPS.

Several other research analysts have also weighed in on the stock. Mizuho set a $72.00 price objective on shares of Ball in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Truist Financial set a $78.00 target price on shares of Ball in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Citigroup downgraded shares of Ball from a "buy" rating to a "reduce" rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. UBS Group cut their target price on shares of Ball from $66.00 to $63.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, October 5th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their price target on shares of Ball from $77.00 to $73.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, October 13th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Ball currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $71.15.

Ball Price Performance

Shares of BALL opened at $63.12 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $16.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.20 and a beta of 0.96. Ball has a 1 year low of $44.83 and a 1 year high of $68.29. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $60.67 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $60.25. The company has a current ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 0.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.13.

Ball (NYSE:BALL - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported $1.03 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.99 by $0.04. Ball had a return on equity of 18.76% and a net margin of 6.61%. The firm had revenue of $4 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.69 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.90 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 19.7% on a year-over-year basis. Ball has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.930- EPS.

Ball Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 1st were issued a $0.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, September 1st. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. Ball's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 22.66%.

Insider Activity

In other Ball news, SVP Mandy Glew sold 5,626 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $63.80, for a total value of $358,938.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 7,209 shares in the company, valued at $459,934.20. This trade represents a 43.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.58% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Pension & Wealth Management Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in Ball during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Basecamp Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Ball by 135.0% in the 1st quarter. Basecamp Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 477 shares of the company's stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 274 shares during the last quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC bought a new position in Ball in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Trust Co. of Vermont acquired a new stake in Ball in the second quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Finally, Parkside Financial Bank & Trust boosted its position in Ball by 29.8% in the second quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 863 shares of the company's stock valued at $54,000 after buying an additional 198 shares in the last quarter. 86.51% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Ball

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.

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