UBS Group Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Ball (NYSE:BALL) Stock Price

Key Points

• UBS cut its price target on Ball to $64 (from $66) and keeps a "neutral" rating, implying about 8.31% upside
• Q1 beat: Ball reported $0.94 EPS vs. $0.85 expected and revenue of $3.60B (+16.3% y/y), but rising input costs compressed margins and management set FY‑2026 EPS guidance at 3.93, slightly below street estimates.
• Institutional ownership is high at about 86.51%, while insiders own 0.58%; recent insider moves included an SVP buying 1,551 shares and another SVP selling 10,660 shares.

Ball (NYSE:BALL - Get Free Report) had its price objective lowered by stock analysts at UBS Group from $66.00 to $64.00 in a report released on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a "neutral" rating on the stock. UBS Group's target price points to a potential upside of 8.31% from the stock's current price.

A number of other research analysts have also issued reports on BALL. Robert W. Baird set a $75.00 target price on shares of Ball in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of Ball in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on shares of Ball from $64.00 to $71.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Morgan Stanley set a $66.00 price target on shares of Ball in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of Ball from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $69.27.

Ball Stock Performance

Ball stock traded up $1.98 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $59.09. 5,424,915 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,368,634. The company has a current ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 0.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.29. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $61.97 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $56.49. The firm has a market cap of $15.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.80, a PEG ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 1.06. Ball has a fifty-two week low of $44.83 and a fifty-two week high of $68.29.

Ball (NYSE:BALL - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The company reported $0.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.85 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $3.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.34 billion. Ball had a net margin of 6.93% and a return on equity of 18.12%. Ball's revenue was up 16.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.76 EPS. Ball has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.930- EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Ball will post 3.95 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at Ball

In other news, SVP Fauze Villatoro bought 1,551 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 4th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $64.51 per share, with a total value of $100,055.01. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 13,778 shares in the company, valued at approximately $888,818.78. The trade was a 12.69% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, SVP Kathleen Pitre sold 10,660 shares of Ball 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 completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 36,772 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,450,118.36. This trade represents a 22.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 0.58% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in BALL. Teacher Retirement System of Texas increased its stake in Ball by 58.7% in the 4th quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 262,973 shares of the company's stock valued at $13,930,000 after buying an additional 97,264 shares during the period. Cibc World Market Inc. purchased a new position in Ball in the third quarter valued at about $5,570,000. Iridian Asset Management LLC CT grew its stake in Ball by 73.7% in the third quarter. Iridian Asset Management LLC CT now owns 46,624 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,351,000 after purchasing an additional 19,776 shares in the last quarter. Rakuten Investment Management Inc. purchased a new position in Ball in the third quarter valued at about $464,000. Finally, Campbell & CO Investment Adviser LLC purchased a new position in Ball in the third quarter valued at about $2,682,000. 86.51% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Ball

Here are the key news stories impacting Ball this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat — Ball reported $0.94 EPS vs. a $0.85 consensus and revenue of $3.60B (up ~16.3% y/y), showing solid top‑line growth and earnings leverage. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst lift — Wells Fargo raised its price target to $71 and kept an “overweight” rating, signaling incremental analyst conviction and implying meaningful upside vs. recent levels. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor materials & liquidity — Management posted the press release, slide deck and call transcript; trading volume is elevated vs. average, which increases immediacy but not direction. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Margins under pressure — Despite higher volumes and favorable pricing, rising input and other costs compressed margins in the quarter, a potential headwind for near‑term profit expansion. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Guidance slightly below street — Ball set FY‑2026 EPS guidance around 3.93, a touch under the ~3.96 consensus, which tempers the beat and could limit upside if costs persist. Read More.

About Ball

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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