RBF Capital LLC Purchases 29,596 Shares of Sonoco Products Company $SON

Key Points

• RBF Capital LLC boosted its Sonoco Products position by 59.2% in the fourth quarter, buying 29,596 additional shares to own 79,596 shares worth about $3.47 million.
• Sonoco Products reported weaker-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $1.20 versus $1.57 expected and revenue of $1.68 billion versus $1.88 billion expected.
• The company raised its quarterly dividend to $0.54 per share, implying a 4.2% annualized yield, while analysts currently have a consensus rating of Hold with a $60.11 target price.

RBF Capital LLC increased its position in shares of Sonoco Products Company (NYSE:SON - Free Report) by 59.2% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 79,596 shares of the industrial products company's stock after buying an additional 29,596 shares during the period. RBF Capital LLC owned 0.08% of Sonoco Products worth $3,474,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of SON. Fuller & Thaler Asset Management Inc. raised its stake in Sonoco Products by 477.8% during the fourth quarter. Fuller & Thaler Asset Management Inc. now owns 5,901,950 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $257,561,000 after buying an additional 4,880,438 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Sonoco Products by 357.8% in the third quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 2,117,022 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $90,693,000 after purchasing an additional 1,654,576 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Sonoco Products in the fourth quarter valued at $54,611,000. Squarepoint Ops LLC increased its stake in Sonoco Products by 2,813.2% in the fourth quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 876,895 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $38,268,000 after purchasing an additional 846,794 shares in the last quarter. Finally, LSV Asset Management increased its stake in Sonoco Products by 95.7% in the fourth quarter. LSV Asset Management now owns 1,563,390 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $68,226,000 after purchasing an additional 764,590 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 77.69% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at Sonoco Products

In other news, insider James A. Harrell III acquired 6,753 shares of Sonoco Products stock in a transaction on Monday, April 27th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $50.37 per share, with a total value of $340,148.61. Following the transaction, the insider owned 10,070 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $507,225.90. This trade represents a 203.59% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CFO Paul Joachimczyk acquired 8,058 shares of Sonoco Products stock in a transaction on Friday, April 24th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $49.64 per share, with a total value of $399,999.12. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 28,558 shares in the company, valued at $1,417,619.12. This represents a 39.31% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Corporate insiders own 0.98% of the company's stock.

Sonoco Products Trading Up 1.8%

NYSE:SON opened at $51.24 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97, a current ratio of 0.96 and a quick ratio of 0.54. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $50.86 and a 200-day moving average of $49.70. The company has a market cap of $5.07 billion, a PE ratio of 5.02, a PEG ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 0.39. Sonoco Products Company has a one year low of $38.65 and a one year high of $58.44.

Sonoco Products (NYSE:SON - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The industrial products company reported $1.20 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.57 by ($0.37). The business had revenue of $1.68 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.88 billion. Sonoco Products had a return on equity of 16.50% and a net margin of 13.57%.The company's revenue was down 1.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.38 earnings per share. Sonoco Products has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.800-6.200 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Sonoco Products Company will post 5.81 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Sonoco Products Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 8th were given a $0.54 dividend. This represents a $2.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 8th. This is a positive change from Sonoco Products's previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. Sonoco Products's payout ratio is currently 21.18%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on SON shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft started coverage on shares of Sonoco Products in a research note on Wednesday, April 1st. They issued a "buy" rating and a $63.00 price target for the company. Bank of America reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Sonoco Products in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Argus raised shares of Sonoco Products to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed a "market perform" rating on shares of Sonoco Products in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Finally, UBS Group decreased their price target on shares of Sonoco Products from $62.00 to $59.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $60.11.

Sonoco Products Profile

Sonoco Products Company NYSE: SON is a global provider of diversified packaging solutions, serving a wide range of consumer, industrial and retail markets. The company offers a broad portfolio that includes rigid paper and plastic containers, flexible packaging, industrial core and tube products, thermoformed plastics, retail point-of-purchase displays, and packaging supply chain services. Through its solutions, Sonoco helps customers in food and beverage, personal care, chemicals, healthcare, home and garden, and electronics industries address their packaging needs, improve product shelf appeal, and optimize logistics efficiency.

With operations in more than 30 countries across North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Africa, Sonoco leverages a global network of manufacturing facilities, recycling centers and distribution channels to meet the demands of multinational and regional customers.

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