Ball Corporation (NYSE:BALL) Sees Significant Growth in Short Interest

Ball Corporation (NYSE:BALL) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest during the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totaling 6,282,457 shares, an increase of 20.8% from the March 31st total of 5,199,326 shares. Currently, 2.4% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 1,955,585 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 3.2 days.

Key Ball News

Here are the key news stories impacting Ball this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Board declared a quarterly dividend of $0.20 per share (record June 1; payable June 15), reinforcing shareholder returns and income appeal for investors. Board Declares Quarterly Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: Recent quarterly results showed a slight EPS beat and revenue growth (revenue up ~16% year-over-year), and management set FY‑2026 guidance that supports earnings visibility — factors that underpin the stock’s current strength.
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks preview: Ball is expected to report Q1 sales and profit growth, but the model doesn’t signal a clear beat because of tariff-related costs and a mixed outlook across segments; this creates near‑term uncertainty into the report. Ball Corp. Set to Report Q1 Earnings: What’s in Store for the Stock?
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst concerns over tariff costs and a mixed segment outlook could limit upside or increase volatility on the earnings print; if results fail to beat expectations, sentiment and the share price could pull back.

Ball Trading Up 0.4%

Shares of Ball stock opened at $61.32 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $16.32 billion, a PE ratio of 18.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 1.06. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.29, a current ratio of 1.11 and a quick ratio of 0.75. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $62.16 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $56.29. Ball has a 52-week low of $44.83 and a 52-week high of $68.29.

Ball (NYSE:BALL) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $0.91 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.90 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $3.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.11 billion. Ball had a net margin of 6.93% and a return on equity of 18.12%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 16.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.84 EPS. Ball has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.930- EPS. On average, analysts expect that Ball will post 3.95 EPS for the current year.

Ball Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 1st will be issued a $0.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 1st. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. Ball’s dividend payout ratio is presently 24.10%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently commented on the company. Morgan Stanley set a $66.00 target price on Ball in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Raymond James Financial set a $73.00 price target on shares of Ball and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on shares of Ball from $64.00 to $71.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of Ball from $60.00 to $70.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Ball in a report on Friday, April 17th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $69.33.

Insider Buying and Selling at Ball

In related news, SVP Kathleen Pitre sold 10,660 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 2nd. The shares were 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 $2,450,118.36. This represents a 22.47% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, SVP Fauze Villatoro purchased 1,551 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 4th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $64.51 per share, with a total value of $100,055.01. Following the acquisition, the senior vice president owned 13,778 shares in the company, valued at approximately $888,818.78. This represents a 12.69% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. 0.58% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ball

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in BALL. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Ball in the 4th quarter worth about $178,025,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its holdings in shares of Ball by 47.8% in the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 5,658,732 shares of the company’s stock worth $299,749,000 after purchasing an additional 1,830,434 shares during the last quarter. M&G PLC grew its holdings in shares of Ball by 242.9% in the 4th quarter. M&G PLC now owns 2,326,812 shares of the company’s stock worth $123,321,000 after purchasing an additional 1,648,303 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Ball by 1,465.3% in the 2nd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 1,314,786 shares of the company’s stock worth $73,746,000 after purchasing an additional 1,230,791 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its holdings in shares of Ball by 5.6% in the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 18,886,681 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,000,429,000 after purchasing an additional 999,690 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 86.51% of the company’s stock.

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.