UBS Group AG Decreases Holdings in Ball Corporation $BALL

UBS Group AG trimmed its position in shares of Ball Corporation (NYSE:BALL) by 20.8% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 980,027 shares of the company’s stock after selling 257,969 shares during the period. UBS Group AG owned about 0.37% of Ball worth $51,912,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Ball during the 4th quarter valued at about $255,000. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of Ball by 76.2% during the 4th quarter. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC now owns 8,561 shares of the company’s stock valued at $491,000 after buying an additional 3,702 shares in the last quarter. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG raised its holdings in shares of Ball by 8.3% during the 4th quarter. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG now owns 8,263 shares of the company’s stock valued at $438,000 after buying an additional 636 shares in the last quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas raised its holdings in shares of Ball by 58.7% during 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH raised its holdings in shares of Ball by 6.9% during the 4th quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH now owns 281,650 shares of the company’s stock valued at $14,971,000 after buying an additional 18,194 shares in the last quarter. 86.51% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently commented on BALL. Citigroup decreased their price objective on Ball from $74.00 to $73.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 13th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft began coverage on Ball in a report on Wednesday, April 1st. They issued a “buy” rating and a $72.00 price objective on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Ball in a report on Friday, April 17th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Ball from $60.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $75.00 price objective on Ball in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $69.33.

Ball Stock Down 6.3%

Shares of Ball stock opened at $57.12 on Wednesday. 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 company’s fifty day simple moving average is $61.97 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $56.49. The company has a market cap of $15.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.20, a PEG ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 1.06. Ball Corporation has a 12-month low of $44.83 and a 12-month high of $68.29.

Ball (NYSE:BALL) last issued 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. The business had revenue of $3.60 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.34 billion. Ball had a net margin of 6.93% and a return on equity of 18.12%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 16.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.76 EPS. Ball has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.930- EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Ball Corporation will post 3.95 EPS for the current year.

Ball Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 15th. Investors of record on Monday, June 1st will be paid a $0.20 dividend. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 1st. Ball’s dividend payout ratio is presently 24.10%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Ball

In related news, SVP Fauze Villatoro purchased 1,551 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 4th. The shares were bought at an average price of $64.51 per share, for a total transaction of $100,055.01. Following the purchase, the senior vice president directly 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 acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, SVP Kathleen Pitre sold 10,660 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $66.63, for a total transaction of $710,275.80. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 36,772 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,450,118.36. The trade was a 22.47% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.58% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.