ACCO vs SON

For growth investors, Sonoco Products Company (SON) is the stronger pick with 41.

7% revenue growth year-over-year, versus -8. 5% for ACCO Brands Corporation (ACCO). ACCO Brands Corporation (ACCO) offers the better valuation at 9. 2x trailing P/E (4. 8x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Sonoco Products Company (SON) a "Buy" — based on 21 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.

On trailing P/E, ACCO Brands Corporation (ACCO) is the cheapest at 9.

2x versus Sonoco Products Company at 13. 0x. On forward P/E, ACCO Brands Corporation is actually cheaper at 4. 8x.

Over the past 5 years, Sonoco Products Company (SON) delivered a total return of -9.

7%, compared to -39. 3% for ACCO Brands Corporation (ACCO). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: SON returned +48. 6% versus ACCO's -35. 1%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.

By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Sonoco Products Company (SON) is the lower-risk stock at 0.

53β versus ACCO Brands Corporation's 1. 33β — meaning ACCO is approximately 151% more volatile than SON relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Sonoco Products Company (SON) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 134% versus 139% for ACCO Brands Corporation — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.

By revenue growth (latest reported year), Sonoco Products Company (SON) is pulling ahead at 41.

7% versus -8. 5% for ACCO Brands Corporation (ACCO). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: ACCO Brands Corporation grew EPS 141. 5% year-over-year, compared to 141. 2% for Sonoco Products Company. Over a 3-year CAGR, SON leads at 8. 7% annualised revenue growth. Higher growth typically commands a higher valuation multiple — check whether the premium P/E or P/S is justified by the growth rate using the PEG ratio.

Sonoco Products Company (SON) is the more profitable company, earning 5.

3% net margin versus 2. 7% for ACCO Brands Corporation — meaning it keeps 5. 3% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: SON leads at 9. 5% versus 7. 1% for ACCO. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — ACCO leads at 29. 8%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.

On forward earnings alone, ACCO Brands Corporation (ACCO) trades at 4.

8x forward P/E versus 8. 8x for Sonoco Products Company — 4. 0x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for ACCO: 97. 0% to $8. 00.

All stocks in this comparison pay dividends.

ACCO Brands Corporation (ACCO) offers the highest yield at 7. 1%, versus 4. 0% for Sonoco Products Company (SON).

For long-horizon retirement investors, Sonoco Products Company (SON) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.

53), 4. 0% yield). Both have compounded well over 10 years (SON: +48. 6%, ACCO: -35. 1%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.

These companies operate in different sectors (ACCO (Industrials) and SON (Consumer Cyclical)), which means they face different economic cycles, regulatory environments, and macro sensitivities — making direct comparison nuanced.

In terms of investment character: ACCO is a small-cap deep-value stock; SON is a small-cap high-growth stock. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.