Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. Sells 13,953 Shares of Ball Corporation $BALL

Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. reduced its position in Ball Corporation (NYSE:BALL) by 11.9% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 103,787 shares of the company’s stock after selling 13,953 shares during the quarter. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc.’s holdings in Ball were worth $5,498,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of BALL. Brighton Jones LLC increased its holdings in Ball by 41.2% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 5,245 shares of the company’s stock valued at $289,000 after buying an additional 1,531 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Ball by 402.8% in the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 83,995 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,356,000 after buying an additional 67,289 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC increased its holdings in Ball by 10.6% in the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 6,167 shares of the company’s stock valued at $321,000 after buying an additional 590 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in Ball in the 2nd quarter valued at about $453,000. Finally, Jump Financial LLC bought a new position in Ball in the 2nd quarter valued at about $696,000. 86.51% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Ball Trading Up 3.1%

Shares of Ball stock opened at $56.84 on Thursday. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $60.16 and its 200 day moving average is $57.12. The company has a current ratio of 1.12, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.25. Ball Corporation has a 1 year low of $44.83 and a 1 year high of $68.29. The firm has a market capitalization of $15.13 billion, a PE ratio of 16.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.07 and a beta of 1.06.

Ball (NYSE:BALL) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The company reported $0.94 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.85 by $0.09. Ball had a net margin of 6.86% and a return on equity of 18.69%. The business had revenue of $3.60 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.34 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.76 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 16.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Ball has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.930- EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Ball Corporation will post 3.99 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ball Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 15th. Investors of record on Monday, June 1st will be given a dividend of $0.20 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 1st. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.4%. Ball’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 23.12%.

Insider Activity at Ball

In related news, SVP Kathleen Pitre sold 10,660 shares of Ball stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the senior vice president directly owned 36,772 shares in the company, valued at $2,450,118.36. This trade represents a 22.47% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, SVP Fauze Villatoro bought 1,551 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 4th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $64.51 per share, for a total transaction of $100,055.01. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 13,778 shares in the company, valued at $888,818.78. This trade represents a 12.69% increase in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.58% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have commented on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft assumed coverage on shares of Ball in a report on Wednesday, April 1st. They issued a “buy” rating and a $72.00 target price on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Ball in a report on Friday, April 17th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted 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. Morgan Stanley set a $66.00 price target on shares of Ball in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Citigroup decreased their price target on shares of Ball from $74.00 to $73.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 13th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $69.54.

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.