Ball Corporation $BALL Shares Sold by Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank

Key Points

• Zurcher Kantonalbank reduced its stake in Ball Corporation by 34.8%, selling 40,797 shares and ending the quarter with 76,604 shares worth about $4.06 million.
• Ball slightly beat Q4 estimates with $0.91 EPS (vs. $0.90) and revenue of $3.35 billion (up 16.2% YoY), and set FY2026 guidance at 3.930 EPS while analysts forecast about 3.95 EPS; the stock opened at $61.35 and was down 2.8%.
• Ball pays a quarterly dividend of $0.20 ($0.80 annualized, yield ~1.3%), saw mixed insider activity (one SVP bought 1,551 shares while another sold 10,660), and holds a consensus analyst rating of "Moderate Buy" with an average target of $69.33.

Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank lowered its stake in Ball Corporation (NYSE:BALL - Free Report) by 34.8% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 76,604 shares of the company's stock after selling 40,797 shares during the quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank's holdings in Ball were worth $4,058,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. GoalVest Advisory LLC acquired a new position in Ball in the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Triumph Capital Management acquired a new stake in shares of Ball during the third quarter worth about $26,000. Board of the Pension Protection Fund acquired a new stake in shares of Ball during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. lifted its position in shares of Ball by 4,236.8% during the third quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 824 shares of the company's stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 805 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Trust Co. of Vermont lifted its position in shares of Ball by 297.0% during the fourth quarter. Trust Co. of Vermont now owns 802 shares of the company's stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 600 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.51% of the company's stock.

Ball Stock Down 2.8%

Shares of BALL opened at $61.35 on Friday. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $62.60 and its 200-day simple moving average is $55.98. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.29, a quick ratio of 0.75 and a current ratio of 1.11. Ball Corporation has a 1 year low of $44.83 and a 1 year high of $68.29. The stock has a market capitalization of $16.33 billion, a PE ratio of 18.48, a P/E/G ratio of 1.26 and a beta of 1.14.

Ball (NYSE:BALL - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $0.91 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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 firm had revenue of $3.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.11 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.84 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 16.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Ball has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.930- EPS. Analysts forecast that Ball Corporation will post 3.95 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ball Announces Dividend

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, SVP Fauze Villatoro bought 1,551 shares of the business's 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 purchase, the senior vice president owned 13,778 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $888,818.78. This represents a 12.69% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Kathleen Pitre sold 10,660 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $66.63, for a total transaction of $710,275.80. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 36,772 shares in the company, 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. 0.58% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on BALL. Robert W. Baird set a $75.00 price target on shares of Ball in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. UBS Group reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $66.00 price target on shares of Ball in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Truist Financial increased their price target on shares of Ball from $75.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. Mizuho increased their price target on shares of Ball from $58.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Ball in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Ball has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $69.33.

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.

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