New York, Feb 3, 2026, 14:49 EST — Regular session
- Ball shares rose 8.9% to $61.75, after briefly hitting $62.75
- Q4 adjusted profit was $0.91 a share on $3.35 billion in sales; shipments climbed 6%
- Company aims for 10-plus% comparable profit growth in 2026 and flags roughly $35 million in direct tariff costs
Ball Corp (BALL) shares climbed 8.9% to $61.75 in afternoon trading Tuesday, after earlier hitting $62.75.
The move matters because can makers have been trying to prove that volumes are back and durable, not just a post-pandemic hangover. Cash matters too. If Ball can keep cash coming in, it has room to keep buying back stock without leaning harder on debt.
Ball reported fourth-quarter net sales of $3.35 billion and adjusted earnings of $0.91 a share, beating LSEG averages of $3.11 billion and $0.89. Global aluminum-packaging shipments climbed 6% in the quarter. On its post-earnings call, Ball warned direct tariff costs in 2026 could be about $35 million. The company, which supplies packaging to North American food and beverage firms including Del Monte Foods, said demand for recyclable cups and bottles has helped as consumers shift toward eating at home.
Ball said fourth-quarter sales rose to $3.35 billion from $2.88 billion a year earlier, and it earned 75 cents a share on a U.S. GAAP basis, versus an 11-cent loss. Comparable diluted earnings per share, which excludes certain items, were 91 cents. Full-year net earnings dropped to $912 million from $4.01 billion in 2024, when Ball still included its former aerospace business through the Feb. 16, 2024 sale date. For 2026, Ball forecast “10-plus percent” comparable earnings growth and free cash flow above $900 million, after generating $956 million of adjusted free cash flow and returning $1.54 billion to shareholders in 2025. Ball Corporation
Chief executive Ron Lewis said the company “closed the year with a strong fourth quarter.” CFO Dan Rabbitt highlighted “a record $956 million” of adjusted free cash flow and flagged operating leverage for 2026. Ball said it completed an 80% purchase of Benepack for about €184 million, adding can plants in Belgium and Hungary. A written transcript of the call is expected within 48 hours. SEC
Comparable earnings and adjusted free cash flow are non-GAAP measures firms use to strip out one‑off items and accounting noise. Investors follow them to get a clearer view of operating trends and the cash available for buybacks or debt reduction.
The next question is whether shipment growth holds once pricing resets and customers work through inventories. Volume matters for can makers because plants run better when lines stay full, and small swings can show up fast in margins.
Tariffs and volatile raw-material prices can push costs up fast, and demand could slip if shoppers pull back or beverage brands scale back production. The Benepack integration must proceed without hiccups to safeguard the cash-flow target.
Packaging peers climbed as well. Crown Holdings, Inc. jumped roughly 3.4%, while Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A. rose about 3.8%.
Traders are waiting for the Ball transcript, due by Feb. 5, for more detail on tariffs, capital spending and buybacks. The immediate test: can the stock hold its gain into the close — and can management keep volumes rising while still clearing more than $900 million in cash next year.
