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Headquartered in Westminster, Colorado, Ball Corporation (BALL) is a global packaging company specializing in sustainable aluminum solutions for beverages, personal care, and household products. It has a market capitalization of $16.6 billion.
Shares of this leading packaging company have slightly underperformed the broader market over the past year. BALL has gained 17.2% over this period, while the broader S&P 500 Index ($SPX) has climbed nearly 19.9%. The stock has, however, outperformed the index in 2026, gaining 18.8% year-to-date, compared with the S&P 500’s 12.9% gain over the same period.
Compared with the Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Materials ETF (RSPM), BALL has also underperformed, as the ETF has climbed 27% over the past year and 20% on a YTD basis.
On August 4, Ball reported its Q2 FY2026 earnings, with shares falling about 2.2% despite beating estimates. Net sales grew 19.7% year-over-year to $4 billion, driven by higher volumes and favorable price/mix, primarily attributable to higher aluminum prices. Comparable EPS rose 14.4% to $1.03. For FY2026, Ball continues to expect comparable diluted EPS growth of more than 10% and free cash flow of more than $900 million. The company is on track to return at least $800 million to shareholders through share buybacks and dividends by year-end, having returned $222 million in the first half.
Analysts expect BALL’s diluted EPS to rise 12.6% year-over-year to $4.02 for the fiscal year ending in December 2026. BALL has surpassed consensus EPS estimates in each of the past four quarters, reflecting consistent earnings performance.
Based on the 15 analysts covering BALL stock, the consensus rating is a “Moderate Buy.” The rating is based on nine “Strong Buy” ratings, two “Moderate Buy” ratings, and four “Hold” ratings.
This consensus is more bearish than it was a month ago, when the stock had an overall “Strong Buy” rating.
On August 6, Citi analyst Anthony Pettinari maintained a “Buy” rating on Ball and raised his price target to $75 from $72.
Based on analysts’ estimates, the mean price target of $72.93 implies a 15.9% premium to BALL’s current share price, while the Street-high price target of $79 suggests a 25.6% upside.
