Vanguard Group Inc. Sells 66,028 Shares of Sonoco Products Company $SON

Key Points

• Vanguard Group trimmed its stake by 0.7% (sold 66,028 shares) and still holds 9,924,282 shares — roughly 10.06% of Sonoco, while institutional investors own about 77.69% of the stock.
• Insider buying intensified: CFO Paul Joachimczyk purchased 8,058 shares (~$400k), raising his stake 39.3%, and insider James A. Harrell III bought 6,753 shares, a 203.6% increase in his position.
• Operational update: Sonoco missed Q1 estimates (EPS $1.20 vs. $1.57 expected; revenue $1.68B vs. $1.88B), but set FY2026 guidance of $5.80–$6.20 EPS and raised its quarterly dividend to $0.54 (4.3% yield).

Vanguard Group Inc. decreased its stake in shares of Sonoco Products Company (NYSE:SON - Free Report) by 0.7% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 9,924,282 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 66,028 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. owned 10.06% of Sonoco Products worth $433,096,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Sonoco Products by 44.3% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 49,093 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $2,319,000 after acquiring an additional 15,079 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Sonoco Products by 80.8% in the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 206,493 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $9,755,000 after purchasing an additional 92,286 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC grew its position in shares of Sonoco Products by 14.1% during the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 11,058 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $522,000 after purchasing an additional 1,364 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its holdings in shares of Sonoco Products by 87.9% in the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 545,179 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $25,754,000 after purchasing an additional 255,055 shares during the period. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Sonoco Products by 315.4% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,587 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $69,000 after buying an additional 1,205 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 77.69% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

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

Sonoco Products Trading Up 1.7%

Shares of SON stock opened at $50.47 on Wednesday. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $53.68 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $47.84. Sonoco Products Company has a 12-month low of $38.65 and a 12-month high of $58.44. The company has a quick ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97. The firm has a market cap of $4.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 4.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.04 and a beta of 0.40.

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

Sonoco Products Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 8th will be paid a $0.54 dividend. This is a boost from Sonoco Products's previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. This represents a $2.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 8th. Sonoco Products's payout ratio is presently 20.78%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently commented on SON shares. Zacks Research upgraded Sonoco Products from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Raymond James Financial reiterated a "market perform" rating on shares of Sonoco Products in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft initiated coverage on Sonoco Products in a report on Wednesday, April 1st. They set a "buy" rating and a $63.00 price objective for the company. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Sonoco Products from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of Sonoco Products from $60.00 to $56.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, March 20th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $60.11.

Sonoco Products Company 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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