James Harrell III Acquires 6,753 Shares of Sonoco Products (NYSE:SON) Stock

Key Points

• James Harrell III acquired 6,753 shares of Sonoco at an average price of $50.37 on April 27, spending $340,148.61 and boosting his holdings to 10,070 shares (a 203.59% increase).
• Q1 results missed expectations: Sonoco reported EPS of $1.20 vs. $1.57 expected and revenue of $1.68B vs. $1.88B, while setting FY2026 guidance of $5.80–6.20 per share (analysts expect ~5.83).
• Dividend raised and stock reaction: Sonoco increased its quarterly dividend to $0.54 (annualized $2.16, ~4.4% yield) and the shares traded down about 1.5% to $49.15 following the results.

Sonoco Products Company (NYSE:SON - Get Free Report) insider James Harrell III acquired 6,753 shares of Sonoco Products stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 27th. The stock was bought at an average price of $50.37 per share, for a total transaction of $340,148.61. Following the completion of the acquisition, the insider owned 10,070 shares in the company, valued at $507,225.90. This trade represents a 203.59% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link.

Sonoco Products Trading Down 1.5%

SON traded down $0.76 on Wednesday, hitting $49.15. The company had a trading volume of 2,191,841 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,136,020. The firm has a market cap of $4.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 4.82, a PEG ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 0.50. Sonoco Products Company has a 1 year low of $38.65 and a 1 year high of $58.44. The company's fifty day moving average price is $54.09 and its 200 day moving average price is $47.62. The company has a current ratio of 0.96, a quick ratio of 0.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97.

Sonoco Products (NYSE:SON - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 21st. The industrial products company reported $1.20 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.57 by ($0.37). The company had revenue of $1.68 billion during 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 firm's quarterly revenue was down 1.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.38 earnings per share. Sonoco Products has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.800-6.200 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that Sonoco Products Company will post 5.83 earnings per share for the current year.

Sonoco Products Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Investors of record on Friday, May 8th will be issued a $0.54 dividend. This is an increase from Sonoco Products's previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 8th. This represents a $2.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.4%. Sonoco Products's payout ratio is presently 21.18%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Sonoco Products

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. grew its position in Sonoco Products by 77.7% in the 4th quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 590 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 258 shares in the last quarter. LRI Investments LLC acquired a new position in shares of Sonoco Products during the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Sonoco Products during the third quarter worth about $29,000. True Wealth Design LLC grew its position in shares of Sonoco Products by 172.5% during the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 744 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 471 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ameriflex Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Sonoco Products by 1,263.6% during the third quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. now owns 900 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 834 shares in the last quarter. 77.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

SON has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Argus upgraded shares of Sonoco Products to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, April 20th. Bank of America reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Sonoco Products in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Truist Financial reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $65.00 target price (down from $68.00) on shares of Sonoco Products in a research report on Tuesday. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on Sonoco Products from $60.00 to $56.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, March 20th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft began coverage on Sonoco Products in a research report on Wednesday, April 1st. They issued a "buy" rating and a $63.00 target price for the company. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $60.11.

About Sonoco Products

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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