Zacks Research Issues Negative Forecast for Ball Earnings

Key Points

• Zacks Research lowered its Q2 2026 EPS forecast for Ball to $0.97 from $1.00, signaling a slightly more cautious outlook for the packaging company. The firm also provided estimates for several future quarters and full-year periods.
• Ball’s latest earnings beat expectations, with Q2 EPS of $0.94 versus the $0.85 consensus and revenue of $3.60 billion versus $3.34 billion expected. The company also reported 16.3% year-over-year revenue growth and set FY2026 guidance at 3.930 EPS.
• Analyst sentiment remains constructive overall, despite the forecast cut, with 10 Buy ratings and 3 Hold ratings and a consensus price target of $69.54. Ball also announced a $0.20 quarterly dividend, yielding about 1.4%.

Ball Corporation (NYSE:BALL - Free Report) - Zacks Research reduced their Q2 2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Ball in a report released on Tuesday, May 19th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the company will post earnings of $0.97 per share for the quarter, down from their previous forecast of $1.00. The consensus estimate for Ball's current full-year earnings is $3.99 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Ball's Q3 2026 earnings at $1.05 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $1.00 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $0.98 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $1.12 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $1.19 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $5.02 EPS.

Ball (NYSE:BALL - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The company reported $0.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.85 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $3.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.34 billion. Ball had a net margin of 6.86% and a return on equity of 18.69%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 16.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.76 EPS. Ball has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.930- EPS.

Several other equities analysts have also issued reports on BALL. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on shares of Ball from $64.00 to $71.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Morgan Stanley set a $66.00 target price on Ball in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. UBS Group dropped their target price on Ball from $66.00 to $64.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Ball from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and set a $60.00 price target on the stock in a report on Monday. Finally, Mizuho boosted their price target on Ball from $58.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $69.54.

Ball Trading Up 3.1%

NYSE:BALL opened at $56.84 on Thursday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $60.16 and a 200-day simple moving average of $57.12. Ball has a one year low of $44.83 and a one year high of $68.29. The firm has a market cap of $15.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.43, a P/E/G ratio of 1.07 and a beta of 1.06. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.25, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a current ratio of 1.12.

Ball Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 15th. Investors of record on Monday, June 1st will be paid a dividend of $0.20 per share. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 1st. Ball's payout ratio is 23.12%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, SVP Kathleen Pitre sold 10,660 shares of the company's stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 36,772 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,450,118.36. This represents a 22.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Fauze Villatoro purchased 1,551 shares of Ball stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 4th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $64.51 per share, for a total transaction of $100,055.01. Following the completion of the transaction, 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 position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Corporate insiders own 0.58% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Bank of America Corp DE raised its stake in Ball by 1.4% in the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 2,097,794 shares of the company's stock valued at $124,001,000 after buying an additional 29,506 shares during the last quarter. Bull Harbor Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Ball during the first quarter worth about $490,000. Amundi increased its holdings in shares of Ball by 19.4% during the first quarter. Amundi now owns 1,109,083 shares of the company's stock valued at $65,557,000 after acquiring an additional 180,214 shares in the last quarter. Parvin Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Ball by 19.5% during the first quarter. Parvin Asset Management LLC now owns 1,315 shares of the company's stock valued at $78,000 after acquiring an additional 215 shares in the last quarter. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Ball by 82.6% in the 1st quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 6,241 shares of the company's stock valued at $369,000 after purchasing an additional 2,823 shares during the last quarter. 86.51% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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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