Company Overview
Ball Corporation operates as a major manufacturer and seller of aluminum packaging products, specifically serving the beverage, personal care, and household products industries across the United States, Brazil, and international markets. The enterprise functions within the Consumer Cyclical sector and is classified under the Packaging & Containers industry, positioning it as a critical supplier for fillers of carbonated soft drinks, beer, energy drinks, and other consumables. As of the latest data, the company holds a market capitalization of $15.77B and generates annual revenue of $13.16B, supported by a workforce of 16,000 employees. These valuation and revenue figures indicate that Ball Corporation is a large-cap entity with significant operational scale, reflecting its established presence and substantial influence within the global aluminum packaging supply chain.
Financial Health
The company reported total revenue of $13.16B over the trailing twelve months, generating net income of $912.00M and EBITDA of $2.01B during the same period. The substantial gap between the $13.16B revenue and the $912.00M net income reveals a cost structure where operating expenses, including cost of goods sold and administrative costs, consume approximately 93.1% of gross revenue before reaching the bottom line. Free cash flow stands at $883.50M, which provides the company with significant financial flexibility to fund capital expenditures, repay debt obligations, or pursue strategic acquisitions without relying heavily on external financing. Analyzing the profitability layers, the gross margin is 19.6%, the operating margin is 10.1%, and the profit margin is 6.9%, indicating that the company retains roughly 7 cents for every dollar of sales after covering all operational and tax costs. On the balance sheet side, Ball Corporation holds $1.22B in cash against $7.37B in total debt, resulting in a debt-to-equity ratio of 136.03, which characterizes a highly leveraged financial position typical for capital-intensive manufacturing firms. The current ratio of 1.11 suggests that the company maintains just enough current assets to cover its short-term liabilities, indicating a tight but manageable liquidity position. Finally, the return on equity is 16.1% while the return on assets is 4.7%, demonstrating that management is effective at generating returns for shareholders relative to equity invested, though asset returns are moderated by the high level of debt on the books.
Valuation Assessment
Valuation metrics show a trailing P/E ratio of 17.96 and a forward P/E of 13.16, implying that the market expects earnings growth that will narrow the multiple over the coming year. The price-to-book ratio is 2.90, indicating that the market values the company at nearly three times its tangible book value, which often reflects intangible assets or expected future earnings power rather than just asset replacement cost. Alternative valuation metrics include a price-to-sales ratio of 1.20 and an EV/EBITDA of 10.90, suggesting the company is priced at a premium relative to its sales but offers a reasonable multiple relative to its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization. Regarding price momentum, the 52-week high is $68.29 and the 52-week low is $43.51, meaning the current trading price sits significantly below the recent peak, though the exact percentage distance requires real-time price data not provided in the static facts. The stock exhibits a beta of 1.11, which means the share price is expected to be 11% more volatile than the broader market index during periods of rising or falling equity prices.
Growth & Income
Revenue growth for the trailing twelve months stands at 16.2%, while earnings growth is listed as N/A in the provided data, preventing a direct comparison of top-line versus bottom-line expansion rates at this specific moment. As a dividend payer, Ball Corporation offers a dividend yield of 1.4% with a payout ratio of 24.2%, a low payout figure that suggests the company retains the majority of its earnings to fund operations and debt servicing rather than distributing income to shareholders. This conservative payout ratio indicates a high degree of sustainability for the current dividend, even if earnings were to fluctuate in the near term. Overall, the company presents a profile of moderate revenue expansion paired with a conservative income strategy that prioritizes balance sheet strength over aggressive shareholder cash distributions.