Wells Fargo & Company Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Ball (NYSE:BALL) Stock

Ball (NYSE:BALL) had its price target raised by stock analysts at Wells Fargo & Company from $70.00 to $71.00 in a report issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an “overweight” rating on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company‘s price target suggests a potential upside of 18.62% from the stock’s current price.

Other analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Ball in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Morgan Stanley set a $66.00 price objective on Ball in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Raymond James Financial set a $73.00 price objective on Ball and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $66.00 price objective on shares of Ball in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on Ball from $64.00 to $71.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Ball presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $69.40.

Ball Trading Up 4.8%

Shares of BALL traded up $2.75 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $59.86. 1,566,600 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,316,735. The firm has a market cap of $15.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.02, a PEG ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 1.06. Ball has a 12-month low of $44.83 and a 12-month high of $68.29. 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 stock’s fifty day moving average price is $61.97 and its 200 day moving average price is $56.49.

Ball (NYSE:BALL) last issued its earnings results 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 firm had revenue of $3.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.34 billion. Ball had a net margin of 6.93% and a return on equity of 18.12%. The business’s revenue was up 16.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.76 earnings per share. Ball has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.930- EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Ball will post 3.95 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In related news, SVP Kathleen Pitre sold 10,660 shares of Ball stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $66.63, for a total value of $710,275.80. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 36,772 shares in the company, valued at $2,450,118.36. The trade was a 22.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, SVP Fauze Villatoro acquired 1,551 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 4th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $64.51 per share, with a total value of $100,055.01. Following the completion of the acquisition, the senior vice president directly owned 13,778 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $888,818.78. This represents a 12.69% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Insiders own 0.58% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ball

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Teacher Retirement System of Texas raised its holdings in Ball by 58.7% in the fourth quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 262,973 shares of the company’s stock worth $13,930,000 after purchasing an additional 97,264 shares in the last quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. bought a new position in Ball in the third quarter worth about $5,570,000. Rakuten Investment Management Inc. bought a new position in Ball in the third quarter worth about $464,000. Iridian Asset Management LLC CT raised its holdings in Ball by 73.7% in the third quarter. Iridian Asset Management LLC CT now owns 46,624 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,351,000 after purchasing an additional 19,776 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Campbell & CO Investment Adviser LLC acquired a new position in shares of Ball during the third quarter valued at about $2,682,000. 86.51% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.