Ball (BALL) reported $2.88 billion in revenue for the quarter ended December 2024, representing a year-over-year decline of 15.4%. EPS of $0.84 for the same period compares to $0.78 a year ago.
The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.98 billion, representing a surprise of -3.34%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of +3.70%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $0.81.
While investors closely watch year-over-year changes in headline numbers -- revenue and earnings -- and how they compare to Wall Street expectations to determine their next course of action, some key metrics always provide a better insight into a company's underlying performance.
Since these metrics play a crucial role in driving the top- and bottom-line numbers, comparing them with the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated about them helps investors better project a stock's price performance.
Here is how Ball performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:
- Net Sales- Other: $200 million versus the four-analyst average estimate of $173.97 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +19.8%.
- Net Sales- Beverage packaging, EMEA: $826 million versus $784.95 million estimated by four analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +11.8% change.
- Net Sales- Beverage packaging, South America: $563 million versus the four-analyst average estimate of $640.27 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -8.6%.
- Net Sales- Beverage packaging, North and Central America: $1.29 billion versus the four-analyst average estimate of $1.40 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -6.5%.
- Comparable operating earnings- Beverage packaging, North and Central America: $142 million compared to the $174.06 million average estimate based on four analysts.
- Comparable operating earnings- Other: -$3 million compared to the -$20.69 million average estimate based on four analysts.
- Comparable operating earnings- Beverage packaging, EMEA: $90 million versus the four-analyst average estimate of $95.22 million.
- Comparable operating earnings- Beverage packaging, South America: $126 million versus $137.43 million estimated by four analysts on average.
Shares of Ball have returned +3.1% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +1% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could perform in line with the broader market in the near term.
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