| Factor | Score | Distribution | Value | Avg | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Valuation | 94 | 7.6x | 17.8x | Top tier | |
Growth | 40 | 17.7% | 7.1% | Around median | |
Quality | 51 | 9.9% | 4.5% | Around median | |
Safety | 50 | 2.9x | 2.6x | Around median | |
Capital Return | 76 | 4.41% | 2.12% | Top tier | |
Momentum | 46 | 24.1% | 2.9% | Around median | |
Sentiment | 91 | 7 | 3 | Top tier |
Estimates — analyst targets and a simplified DCF, not investment advice.
Ten ratios that matter, each compared against its sector median and average — so you can see whether a number is rich or cheap relative to peers in the same sector.
Sonoco Products Company operates in consumer and industrial packaging solutions, generating revenue from products including metal and food cans and paper containers, as well as uncoated recycled paperboard URB and wood, metal, and composite reels used in wire and cable markets. In Q2 fiscal 2026, the Consumer Packaging segment represented the largest share of sales at $1.24 billion, while the Industrial segment recorded $643 million, illustrating the business model’s reliance on a large consumer base supported by industrial activities linked to infrastructure and data centers.
In Q2 fiscal 2026, net sales totaled $1.9 billion, down 1% year over year, while adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization reached $324 million, down 1%, with the margin holding steady at 17.2%. Adjusted earnings per share increased 10% to $1.51 from $1.37, with lower interest expense following debt reduction contributing approximately $0.14 per share, while the profitability improvement plan added $0.07 per share. Excluding ThermoSafe’s contribution in the comparison period, revenue and adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization grew 2%, and adjusted earnings per share rose 17%.
Q2 fiscal 2026 showed a clear divergence across markets: Industrial segment sales rose 4% to $643 million, and its adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization increased 3% to $122 million, while Consumer segment sales rose 1% to $1.24 billion. Pricing contributed two percentage points to the Consumer segment and three points to the Industrial segment, but weak demand for aerosol, adhesive, and sealant packaging in the United States limited volume growth, while paper containers achieved growth of 29% in Asia and 9% across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and Asia-Pacific combined.
Automated analysis for informational purposes only — not investment advice.
The stock carries a consensus “Buy” rating with an average price target of $62, within a relatively narrow range of $59 to $64. The average target is slightly above the 52-week range high of $60.67, while the range low is $38.65; this divergence reflects analysts’ bet on improving cash flows and inflation recovery, weighed against risks from the packing season, weakness in certain demand categories, and the possibility of difficulty passing through price increases.
Figures in the text are as of 2026-08-30; the live price is shown at the top of the page.
Sonoco recorded net sales of $1.9 billion, down 1% year over year. Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization totaled $324 million, with the margin holding steady at 17.2%. Adjusted earnings per share increased from $1.37 to $1.51, or 10%. Operating cash flow reached $301 million, and free cash flow totaled $237 million, representing increases of 56% and 139%, respectively.
The company expects sales of $7.25 billion to $7.75 billion in fiscal 2026. The range for adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization is $1.25 billion to $1.35 billion, while adjusted earnings per share is expected to be $5.80 to $6.20. It also targets operating cash flow of $700 million to $800 million. Management kept these ranges unchanged on the July 23, 2026 call because Q3 fiscal 2026 represents the critical packing season and generates approximately 40% of earnings.
Sonoco supplies wood, metal, and composite reels to wire and cable customers serving the construction of AI data centers and power and telecommunications networks. Reel volumes increased 10%, and sales rose 13% in Q2 fiscal 2026, with available capacity nearly sold out according to management. The company completed a $20 million expansion at its Hartselle, Alabama facility. The new robotic equipment is intended to increase nailed wood reel production by approximately 15%.
North American URB mills operated at 95% in Q2 fiscal 2026, the highest level in years, while trade tons increased 6.4%. Order books extended through Q3 fiscal 2026, prompting the company to import paper from its mills in Europe and Latin America to support the North American market. Sonoco is working to increase production of saturated URB used in high-pressure laminates from approximately 10 thousand tons annually by the end of 2026 to 20 thousand tons by the end of 2027. Conversely, the business’s profitability remains sensitive to OCC prices and the company’s ability to pass through the $60 per-ton URB increase.
The Consumer segment’s volume mix declined 1.8% in Q2 fiscal 2026 because of weakness in aerosol, adhesive, and sealant packaging in the United States. Management linked this weakness to discretionary spending and the housing and remodeling markets and did not incorporate a material improvement in these categories into its guidance for the second half of fiscal 2026. Conversely, paper containers rose 29% in Asia and 9% across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and Asia-Pacific combined. Pet food cans also achieved double-digit growth and came to represent 15% of global food can units.
The insider activity signal was classified as neutral during the three-month period covered by the data. The period recorded one purchase and one sale, with net activity of 234,161.8555 and the latest transaction dated August 7, 2026. This balance alone does not indicate a clear direction regarding insiders’ expectations for the company. Insider sales may also be prearranged, and the data provide no evidence to the contrary.
