Ball Corporation
BALLBusiness Overview
ticker: BALL step: 01 generated: 2026-05-13 source: quick-research
Ball Corporation (BALL) — Business Overview
Business Description
Ball Corporation is one of the world's leading suppliers of aluminum packaging for beverage, personal care, and household products industries, with over 100 billion annual can capacity across three global regions. In February 2024, Ball completed the $5.6 billion divestiture of its aerospace division, transforming into a pure-play aluminum packaging company. The company manufactures beverage cans and ends, aerosol containers, aluminum bottles, and aluminum cups — all infinitely recyclable — for major global beverage brands and consumer goods companies.
Revenue Model
Revenue is generated from aluminum can and packaging sales under long-term supply contracts with beverage multinationals, regional brewers, and consumer goods brands. Contracts typically include pass-through mechanisms for aluminum cost changes, reducing commodity price exposure at the gross margin level. Volume growth, price/mix improvements, and operational efficiency drive earnings growth.
Products & Services
- Beverage cans & ends: Standard and specialty cans for carbonated soft drinks, beer, energy drinks, sparkling water
- Aluminum bottles: ReAl aluminum bottles for premium beverage brands
- Aerosol containers: Personal care and household products
- Aluminum cups: Recyclable alternative to plastic/paper cups for events/foodservice
Customer Base & Go-to-Market
Major customers include Anheuser-Busch InBev, Molson Coors, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Monster Energy, and Red Bull. Ball operates under multi-year supply agreements, providing volume visibility. Customer concentration is significant — loss of a major account would have material impact. Geographic diversification across Americas, EMEA, and South America reduces regional demand risk.
Competitive Position
Ball is one of three dominant global can makers alongside Crown Holdings and Ardagh Metal Packaging. The aluminum can duopoly in North America (Ball + Crown) creates pricing discipline and high barriers to entry. Structural demand tailwinds from sustainability (aluminum vs. plastic) and premiumization (craft beer, specialty beverages) support volume growth. The aerospace divestiture simplifies the story and improves capital allocation focus.
Key Facts
- Founded: 1880
- Headquarters: Westminster, CO
- Employees: ~16,000 (post-aerospace sale)
- Exchange: NYSE
- Sector / Industry: Materials / Metal & Glass Containers
- Market Cap: ~$17B
Financial Snapshot
ticker: BALL step: 04 generated: 2026-05-13 source: quick-research
Ball Corporation (BALL) — Financial Snapshot
Income Statement Summary
| Metric | FY2022 | FY2023 | FY2024 | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $15.35B | $14.03B | $11.80B | -15.9% |
| Gross Margin | ~13% | ~13% | ~14% | |
| Operating Margin | ~8% | ~8% | ~9% | |
| Net Income | ~$720M | $707M | $4.01B* | |
| EPS (diluted) | ~$2.25 | $2.23 | $13.00* / $3.17† |
*GAAP 2024 EPS of $13.00 includes ~$9.83/share gain from $5.6B aerospace divestiture. Comparable (adjusted) EPS: $3.17 — a better measure of ongoing earnings power. †FY2025 comparable EPS: $3.57 (+13% YoY)
Revenue decline from 2022-2024 reflects aerospace divestiture (removed ~$2B+ of segment revenue) and volume/demand normalization post-COVID packaging demand surge.
Cash Flow & Balance Sheet (FY2024/2025)
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Free Cash Flow (2025) | $956M (record; +2.4x YoY) |
| Free Cash Flow (2024) | ~$400M |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 2.8x (FY2025) |
| Shareholder Returns (2024) | $1.96B (dividends + buybacks) |
Key Ratios (approximate)
- P/E: ~16x (on comparable EPS) | EV/EBITDA: ~10x | FCF Yield: ~5.5%
- Volume Growth (FY2025): +4.1% across global beverage packaging
- Net Leverage: 2.8x — within target range, post-$5.6B aerospace proceeds deployed
Growth Profile
Ball is transitioning to a pure-play aluminum packaging compounder. The $5.6B aerospace sale proceeds were deployed through $1.96B in shareholder returns in 2024 plus debt reduction. Comparable EPS grew to $3.17 in 2024 and $3.57 in 2025 (+13%), with record FCF of $956M in 2025. Volume growth of 4.1% in 2025 driven by sustainability tailwinds and aluminum can share gains vs. plastic packaging.
Forward Estimates
- FY2026 Guidance: Comparable diluted EPS growth of 10%+ (implies ~$3.90+); FCF >$900M
- Volume: Continued low-to-mid single digit growth expected globally
- Capex: Moderating post-capacity expansion cycle; supporting FCF generation
- Analyst consensus: ~72% Buy; price targets range $48-$78, median ~$60
Deeper Financial Analysis
The fundamental tier adds 9 additional research dimensions for $BALL.