Sonoco Products Company Q1 FY2026 earnings call

• Set up a framework for focus strategy over next three years linked to sustainable growth, margin improvement, and efficient capital allocation in first quarter despite headwinds. • Adjusted earnings for first quarter of $1.20 met estimates, driven by strong productivity savings, favorable price-cost environment, and successful start to profitability performance plan despite lower volume mix. • Addressed rising costs by leveraging global sourcing and supply assurance team, implementing price increases, and shifting mix to more resilient consumer-focused businesses. • Opened new paper can plant in Nongye, Thailand and investing in industrial business to expand capacity. • Disciplined capital allocation strategy focused on reducing debt and returning capital to shareholders, with board authorizing consecutive annual dividend increase. • First quarter net sales from continuing operations $1.7 billion, down 2% year-over-year; adjusted EBITDA $277 million, down 4% year-over-year, but partially offset by productivity initiatives and pricing actions.

Consumer: Sales increased 3% year-over-year to $1.1 billion, driven by pricing and favorable foreign currency exchange rates, partially offset by volume and mixed softness. Adjusted EBITDA from continuing operations declined 7% reflecting lower volumes, partially offset by productivity initiatives, pricing actions, and early transformation savings. Adjusting for 2025 unallocated corporate costs, consumer adjusted EBITDA would have been up with margins flat. Industrial: Sales were $579 million down year-over-year by 1%, driven by softer volumes, partially offset by favorable pricing and index-based resets with foreign currency benefits. Adjusted EBITDA declined by $7 million to $100 million, a 7% decrease as lower volumes were partially mitigated by pricing resets and productivity improvements. Even a margin was lower year-over-year due to unfavorable volume and mix, along with losses attributed to a fire at a recycling facility in Greenville, South Carolina.

• Maintaining full year outlook with sales expected to be $7.25 to $7.75 billion, adjusted EBITDA $1.25 to $1.35 billion, adjusted EPS $5.80 to $6.20, with results expected to trend towards lower end of range. • Expect earnings to grow in Q2 despite inflationary impacts. • Operating cash flow expected to be 700 to 800 million, inclusive of tax payments related to 2025 divestitures paid in first quarter.

• Severe winter weather disrupted operations and customers, impacting volumes. • Fire at recycling facility in Greenville, South Carolina led to one-time cost of $2 million. • Rapid input cost inflation due to Middle East conflict, with estimated $8 to $10 million additional costs in second quarter. • Uncertain macroeconomic and geopolitical conditions creating dynamic operating environment that could impact results.

Q: George Staffos from Bank of America Securities asked about storm effect on volume, early volume run rate, inflation impact buckets and hedging, metal supply chain.

A: Discussed storm impact on consumer business, early volume recovery, cost inflation buckets, hedging, and metal supply chain status.

Q: John Dunnigan from Jefferies asked about cost inflation key buckets, hedging, cost savings cadence.

A: Talked about cost inflation breakdown, hedging, and difference between productivity and profitability performance plan savings.

Q: Michael Roxland from Truist Securities asked about inflation visibility, customer ability to absorb price, URB volume pickup and backlogs.

A: Addressed inflation visibility, customer price absorption, and URB volume pickup reasons.

Q: Hillary Kakanendo from Deutsche Bank asked about specific end markets/geographies underperforming/outperforming, customer ordering patterns.

A: Elaborated on geography impact, and no discernible customer ordering pattern change.

Q: Anthony Pentoneri from Citi asked about consumer volume improvement, working capital sensitivity to raw materials.

A: Spoke about consumer volume improvement possibilities and working capital no real concerns.

Q: Gensham Punjabi from Baird asked about 2Q earnings growth, volume impact of inflation cycle, industrial business macro backdrop.

A: Stated expectation of 2Q earnings growth, no order pattern distortions, and industrial business green shoots.

Q: Anoja Shah from UBS asked about 2Q inflation recovery, term loan impact on EPS, geographic footprint economies of scale.

A: Answered inflation recovery, term loan impact on EPS, and geographic footprint economies of scale.

Q: Mark Weintraub from Seaport Research Partners asked about volume growth, GLP issue impact, startup phase costs.

A: Talked about volume growth opportunities, GLP issue impact, and startup phase costs.

Q: Gabe Hunt from Wells Fargo Securities asked about 2Q earnings measure, Q1 volume trends, tax rate and EBITDA-EPS translation.

A: Addressed 2Q earnings measure, Q1 volume trends, and tax rate and EBITDA-EPS translation.

Q: Matt Roberts from Raymond James asked about RPC volume performance, April promotional trends, RPC category headwinds.

A: Spoke about RPC volume performance, April promotional trends, and RPC category headwinds.

Q: George Staffos from Bank of America Securities asked about REELS business size, new products, dividend growth sustainability.

A: Discussed REELS business size, new products, and dividend growth sustainability