Sonoco Products Company
- Open
- 56.68
- Day high
- 56.72
- Day low
- 54.42
- Prev close
- 56.57
- Volume
- 1.4M
- Mkt cap
- $5.4B
- P/E (TTM)
- 5.3
- EPS (TTM)
- $10.39
- P/B
- 1.5
- P/S
- 0.7
- Yield
- 1.96%
- Per share
- $1.07
- ▲Insiders net buying $740K over the last 3 months (2 open-market buys, 0 sales)
- ◆Cluster buying — multiple insiders bought within days
- 🏛Institutions mixed (13F)
Sonoco Products Company (SON) is a Consumer Cyclical company listed on NYSE. The stock is up 19% over the past year. Over the trailing 3 months, insiders filed 2 open-market buys and 0 sales (SEC Form 4).
Sonoco Products Company (SON) financials & analyst ratings
Fundamentals (TTM)
Analyst consensus · 4 analysts
Source: exchange market data + company filings. Figures are trailing-twelve-month or as most recently reported. For informational purposes only — not investment advice.
SON earnings date, history & EPS estimates
| Report date | EPS est | EPS actual | Surprise | Revenue | Rev. surprise |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 22, 2026 | $1.20 | $1.20 | +0.0% | $1.7B | -1.9% |
| Feb 16, 2026 | $1.01 | $1.05 | +4.0% | $1.8B | +2.1% |
| Oct 22, 2025 | $1.91 | $1.92 | +0.5% | $2.1B | +19.8% |
| Jul 23, 2025 | $1.44 | $1.37 | -4.9% | $1.9B | -12.3% |
| Feb 18, 2025 | $1.18 | $1.17 | -0.8% | $1.4B | -18.6% |
| Oct 31, 2024 | $1.44 | $1.49 | +3.5% | $1.7B | +5.5% |
| Jul 31, 2024 | $1.26 | $1.28 | +1.6% | $1.6B | -3.9% |
| Apr 30, 2024 | $1.05 | $1.12 | +6.7% | $1.6B | -2.2% |
| Feb 14, 2024 | $1.04 | $1.02 | -1.9% | $1.6B | +1.7% |
| Oct 31, 2023 | $1.23 | $1.46 | +18.7% | $1.7B | -1.8% |
| May 1, 2023 | $1.32 | $1.40 | +6.1% | $1.7B | -6.2% |
| Feb 8, 2023 | $1.21 | $1.27 | +5.0% | $1.7B | -6.0% |
SON insider trading activity (SEC Form 4)
| Date | Insider | Type | Shares | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 7, 2026 | Joachimczyk Paulofficer: CFO | Grant | 2,296 | — |
| Jul 6, 2026 | Istavridis Elenidirector | Grant | 646 | — |
| Jul 6, 2026 | Clark Scott Adirector | Grant | 890 | — |
| Jul 6, 2026 | Kyle Richard Gdirector | Grant | 646 | — |
| Jul 6, 2026 | Drew Theresa Jdirector | Grant | 646 | — |
| Jul 6, 2026 | DAVIES PAMELA LEWISdirector | Grant | 646 | — |
| Jul 6, 2026 | Boyd Steven Ldirector | Grant | 646 | — |
| Jul 6, 2026 | HILL ROBERT R JRdirector | Grant | 1,269 | — |
| Jul 6, 2026 | Guillemot Philippedirector | Grant | 646 | — |
| Jul 6, 2026 | Haley John Rdirector | Grant | 1,803 | — |
| Jul 2, 2026 | Joachimczyk Paulofficer: CFO | Option | 8,348 | — |
| Jul 2, 2026 | Joachimczyk Paulofficer: CFO | Tax | 2,534 | $56.35 |
| Jun 12, 2026 | Boyd Steven Ldirector | Grant | 114 | — |
| Jun 12, 2026 | HILL ROBERT R JRdirector | Grant | 327 | — |
| Jun 12, 2026 | Cairns Seanofficer: Pres Consumer Pkg EMEA/APAC | Tax | 102 | — |
Source: SON SEC Form 4 filings, latest Jul 7, 2026. For informational purposes only — not investment advice.
See the full SON insider & 13F page →Sonoco Products Company company profile
Overview
Sonoco Products Company (NYSE:SON) is a leading packaging manufacturer founded in 1899 and headquartered in Hartsville, South Carolina. The company has undergone significant strategic transformation in recent years, evolving from a diversified packaging conglomerate into a more focused enterprise centered on metal and paper packaging solutions. Through major acquisitions like Eviosys in 2024 and strategic divestitures of non-core businesses, Sonoco has repositioned itself as a global leader in consumer and industrial packaging with operations across North and South America, Europe, Australia, and Asia.
Business
Sonoco operates in the packaging and containers industry, manufacturing both consumer and industrial packaging products. The packaging industry serves as a critical link in global supply chains, providing protective containers and materials that enable the safe transport, storage, and presentation of goods ranging from food and beverages to industrial materials and chemicals. The company operates through two primary business segments that generate the majority of its revenue: Consumer Packaging (approximately 60% of revenue): This segment produces packaging primarily for food and beverage companies. Key products include rigid paper containers (round and shaped containers for products like oatmeal, nuts, and frozen juice), metal packaging (food cans, beverage cans, and metal closures), and various flexible packaging solutions. The metal packaging business was significantly expanded through the 2024 acquisition of Eviosys, a European metal packaging leader, making Sonoco a major global player in food and beverage cans. Industrial Paper Packaging (approximately 35% of revenue): This segment serves industrial customers with fiber-based products including tubes, cones, and cores used in paper, textile, and film manufacturing; construction tubes for concrete forming; protective packaging components; and wooden, metal, and composite reels and spools for wire and cable industries. The segment also provides recycled paperboard and material recycling services, creating a circular economy approach to fiber-based packaging. All Other Businesses (approximately 5% of revenue): This includes temperature-assured packaging for pharmaceuticals, retail security packaging, and various specialty packaging solutions. The company has been actively divesting non-core businesses in this category as part of its portfolio simplification strategy.
Revenue model
Sonoco generates revenue primarily through product sales to a diverse customer base spanning food and beverage companies, industrial manufacturers, and specialty product companies. The company's business model centers on manufacturing and selling packaging products with pricing typically based on material costs plus margin, often with contractual arrangements that include cost pass-through mechanisms for raw materials like steel, aluminum, and paperboard. The company's paying customers include major food and beverage brands for consumer packaging, and industrial manufacturers in sectors such as textiles, paper, construction, chemicals, and wire and cable for industrial packaging. Revenue is generated through direct sales relationships, often involving long-term contracts that provide some revenue stability. Several factors significantly impact Sonoco's margins and profitability. Raw material costs represent the most significant variable, particularly steel and aluminum for metal packaging and recycled paperboard for paper products. The company's ability to pass through these cost changes to customers through pricing mechanisms directly affects margins. Volume fluctuations in end markets create operational leverage effects, as the company's substantial fixed costs in manufacturing facilities mean that higher volumes improve margins while lower volumes pressure profitability. Productivity initiatives serve as a key margin driver, with the company consistently targeting over $100 million annually in productivity savings through automation, operational improvements, and facility consolidation. Currency fluctuations affect margins given the company's global operations, while energy costs impact manufacturing expenses. Competition from both traditional packaging companies and alternative packaging solutions can pressure pricing power, though the company's focus on essential packaging categories provides some protection from competitive pressures.
Competitive moat
Sonoco possesses a moderate competitive moat built primarily on operational scale, customer relationships, and specialized manufacturing capabilities, though this moat faces ongoing challenges from industry dynamics and competitive pressures. The company's strongest competitive advantages stem from its manufacturing scale and geographic footprint. With global operations and substantial production capacity, Sonoco can serve large multinational customers across multiple regions, creating switching costs and relationship stickiness. The company's technical expertise in both metal and paper packaging, accumulated over more than a century, provides advantages in product development and manufacturing efficiency that are difficult for smaller competitors to replicate. Customer relationships represent another moat element, as packaging often requires close collaboration between supplier and customer for product design, quality specifications, and supply chain integration. Long-term contracts and the critical nature of packaging to customer operations create some customer stickiness, though this is balanced by customers' desire to maintain multiple suppliers and manage costs. However, Sonoco's moat faces several challenges. The packaging industry is highly competitive with numerous global and regional players, limiting pricing power. Commoditization pressures are significant, as many packaging products are viewed as commodities where price competition is intense. Substitute threats come from alternative packaging materials and formats, as well as changing consumer preferences toward sustainable packaging solutions. The company's recent strategic focus on fewer, larger businesses and the Eviosys acquisition strengthen its competitive position in metal packaging, but the overall moat remains moderate given the competitive nature of the packaging industry and ongoing pressures from both traditional competitors and innovative packaging alternatives.
Risks & safety
Sonoco presents moderate financial risk with some near-term liquidity concerns but generally stable underlying business fundamentals. • Debt and Leverage: High debt levels following the Eviosys acquisition, with debt-to-equity ratio of 3.21x and net leverage around 4x EBITDA. Company targeting deleveraging to 3-3.3x by end of 2026. • Liquidity Concerns: Current ratio of 0.79x indicates working capital strain, though this reflects timing of the acquisition and integration activities. Operating cash flow of $834 million in 2024 demonstrates strong cash generation capability. • Cash Flow: Strong operating cash flow generation with $834 million in 2024, though free cash flow varies significantly with capital expenditure cycles. Q1 2025 showed temporary negative free cash flow of -$300 million due to working capital timing. • Valuation Metrics: Trading at P/E of 21.5x and EV/EBITDA of 13.6x, suggesting modest valuation premium that requires execution of integration and synergy targets. • Business Stability: Essential nature of packaging products provides revenue stability, though volumes sensitive to economic cycles and customer inventory management.
Recent development
Sonoco has undergone a major strategic transformation over the past two years, fundamentally reshaping its business portfolio and market positioning. The most significant development was the acquisition of Eviosys in late 2024, a European metal packaging leader that dramatically expanded Sonoco's presence in the global food and beverage can market. This $3+ billion transaction positioned the company as a major player in metal packaging globally and is expected to generate $100 million in annual synergies by 2026. Simultaneously, the company has pursued an aggressive portfolio simplification strategy, divesting non-core businesses to focus on its strongest market positions. Key divestitures included the Protective Solutions business and the announcement of plans to sell its thermoformed and flexible packaging operations. This strategic refocusing has reduced the company's portfolio from 18 divisions to three core businesses: metal packaging, rigid paper containers, and industrial paper packaging. The company has made substantial operational improvements, consistently achieving over $100 million annually in productivity savings through automation, facility consolidation, and process improvements. Major capital investments have supported expansion of global paper can capacity, particularly in Asia, and integration of the Eviosys operations under the new "Sonoco Metal Packaging EMEA" brand. Sustainability initiatives have become increasingly important, with the company entering a 15-year renewable energy agreement and receiving recognition as a Climate Leader. The focus on sustainable packaging solutions aligns with customer demands and regulatory trends toward environmental responsibility. Looking forward, management has established ambitious financial targets, aiming for $1.5 billion in adjusted EBITDA with high-teens EBITDA margins by 2028, supported by the integrated metal packaging platform and continued operational excellence initiatives.
SON company profile · for informational purposes only — not investment advice.
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