BALL vs SON

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

7% revenue growth year-over-year, versus 11. 6% for Ball Corporation (BALL). Sonoco Products Company (SON) offers the better valuation at 13. 0x trailing P/E (8. 8x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Ball Corporation (BALL) a "Buy" — based on 23 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, Sonoco Products Company (SON) is the cheapest at 13.

0x versus Ball Corporation at 17. 7x. On forward P/E, Sonoco Products Company is actually cheaper at 8. 8x. The PEG ratio (P/E divided by earnings growth rate) is the most growth-adjusted single valuation metric: Sonoco Products Company wins at 0. 62x versus Ball Corporation's 1. 09x — a PEG below 1. 0 traditionally signals the market is underpricing earnings growth.

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

7%, compared to -31. 2% for Ball Corporation (BALL). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: BALL returned +79. 5% versus SON's +48. 6%. 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), Ball Corporation (BALL) is the lower-risk stock at 0.

40β versus Sonoco Products Company's 0. 53β — meaning SON is approximately 31% more volatile than BALL relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Ball Corporation (BALL) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 129% versus 134% for Sonoco Products Company — 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 11. 6% for Ball Corporation (BALL). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: Sonoco Products Company grew EPS 141. 2% year-over-year, compared to -74. 6% for Ball Corporation. 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.

Ball Corporation (BALL) is the more profitable company, earning 6.

9% net margin versus 5. 3% for Sonoco Products Company — meaning it keeps 6. 9% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: BALL leads at 10. 6% versus 9. 5% for SON. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — SON leads at 20. 9%, 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.

The PEG ratio (forward P/E divided by expected earnings growth rate) is the most precise measure of undervaluation relative to growth potential.

By this metric, Sonoco Products Company (SON) is the more undervalued stock at a PEG of 0. 62x versus Ball Corporation's 1. 09x. A PEG below 1. 0 is traditionally considered the threshold for growth-adjusted undervaluation. On forward earnings alone, Sonoco Products Company (SON) trades at 8. 8x forward P/E versus 14. 7x for Ball Corporation — 5. 9x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for BALL: 20. 3% to $70. 25.

All stocks in this comparison pay dividends.

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

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

40), 1. 4% yield). Both have compounded well over 10 years (BALL: +79. 5%, SON: +48. 6%), 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.

Both stocks operate in the Consumer Cyclical sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both.

In terms of investment character: BALL is a mid-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.