First Trust Advisors LP Buys 20,067 Shares of Ball Corporation $BALL

First Trust Advisors LP lifted its stake in shares of Ball Corporation (NYSE:BALL) by 6.9% in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 311,694 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 20,067 shares during the quarter. First Trust Advisors LP’s holdings in Ball were worth $18,424,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Triumph Capital Management acquired a new position in Ball in the 3rd quarter valued at about $26,000. Gilpin Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Ball in the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Harbour Investments Inc. raised its holdings in Ball by 44.1% in the 4th quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. now owns 725 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 222 shares during the period. Trust Co. of Vermont lifted its position in Ball by 297.0% during the fourth quarter. Trust Co. of Vermont now owns 802 shares of the company’s stock worth $42,000 after acquiring an additional 600 shares during the last quarter. Finally, MUFG Securities EMEA plc acquired a new stake in Ball during the second quarter worth approximately $46,000. Institutional investors own 86.51% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

BALL has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft initiated coverage on Ball in a report on Wednesday, April 1st. They set a “buy” rating and a $72.00 price objective for the company. Bank of America increased their target price on Ball from $70.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Citigroup dropped their price target on Ball from $73.00 to $72.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, July 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Ball from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $60.00 price target for the company in a research note on Monday, May 18th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on Ball from $70.00 to $71.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $70.85.

Ball Price Performance

NYSE:BALL opened at $65.84 on Thursday. Ball Corporation has a 52 week low of $44.83 and a 52 week high of $68.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.25, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a current ratio of 1.12. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $59.33 and its 200 day simple moving average is $60.40. The firm has a market cap of $17.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.03, a P/E/G ratio of 1.32 and a beta of 0.98.

Ball (NYSE:BALL) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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. Ball had a net margin of 6.86% and a return on equity of 18.69%. The firm had revenue of $3.60 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.34 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.76 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 16.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Ball has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.930- EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Ball Corporation will post 3.99 earnings per share for the current year.

Ball Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 1st will be given a $0.20 dividend. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 1st. Ball’s payout ratio is presently 23.12%.

Ball 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.