Compagnie Lombard Odier SCmA cut its holdings in Smurfit Westrock PLC (NYSE:SW – Free Report) by 10.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 676,222 shares of the company’s stock after selling 81,664 shares during the quarter. Compagnie Lombard Odier SCmA owned 0.13% of Smurfit Westrock worth $26,149,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. increased its stake in shares of Smurfit Westrock by 113.3% in the 3rd quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 640 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 340 shares in the last quarter. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC acquired a new position in shares of Smurfit Westrock during the 2nd quarter valued at $29,000. Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new position in Smurfit Westrock during the third quarter worth $33,000. Rexford Capital Inc. acquired a new stake in Smurfit Westrock in the second quarter worth $35,000. Finally, Groupe la Francaise acquired a new stake in Smurfit Westrock in the second quarter worth $51,000. 83.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.
Insider Buying and Selling at Smurfit Westrock In other Smurfit Westrock news, CFO Ken Bowles sold 10,000 shares of Smurfit Westrock stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $51.26, for a total transaction of $512,600.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 151,644 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,773,271.44. The trade was a 6.19% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Anthony P. J. Smurfit sold 40,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $51.54, for a total transaction of $2,061,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 1,642,610 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $84,660,119.40. The trade was a 2.38% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.46% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.
Smurfit Westrock Price Performance SW stock opened at $40.18 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73, a quick ratio of 0.95 and a current ratio of 1.48. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $43.59 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $40.83. The company has a market capitalization of $21.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.21 and a beta of 1.06. Smurfit Westrock PLC has a 52-week low of $32.73 and a 52-week high of $52.65.
Smurfit Westrock (NYSE:SW – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, February 27th. The company reported $0.34 EPS for the quarter. Smurfit Westrock had a return on equity of 6.10% and a net margin of 2.24%.The firm had revenue of $7.58 billion during the quarter. Research analysts expect that Smurfit Westrock PLC will post 3.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Smurfit Westrock Increases Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 18th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 17th were given a $0.4523 dividend. This represents a $1.81 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 17th. This is an increase from Smurfit Westrock’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.43. Smurfit Westrock’s payout ratio is currently 136.09%.
Analysts Set New Price Targets Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on SW shares. Barclays dropped their price objective on shares of Smurfit Westrock from $56.00 to $54.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on Smurfit Westrock from $61.00 to $60.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Citigroup upped their price target on Smurfit Westrock from $48.00 to $59.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Truist Financial set a $60.00 price target on Smurfit Westrock in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price objective on Smurfit Westrock from $51.00 to $57.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Smurfit Westrock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $55.73.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Smurfit Westrock
Smurfit Westrock Company Profile (Free Report)
Smurfit Westrock Plc, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures, distributes, and sells containerboard, corrugated containers, and other paper-based packaging products in Ireland and internationally. The company produces containerboard that it converts into corrugated containers or sells to third parties, as well as produces other types of paper, such as consumer packaging board, sack paper, graphic paper, solid board and graphic board, and other paper-based packaging products, such as consumer packaging, solid board packaging, paper sacks, and other packaging products, including bag-in-box.
Featured Stories Five stocks we like better than Smurfit Westrock Want to see what other hedge funds are holding SW? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Smurfit Westrock PLC (NYSE:SW – Free Report).
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BIP Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Smurfit Westrock PLC (NYSE:SW – Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 62,379 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,412,000.
Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Smurfit Westrock in the fourth quarter valued at about $341,000. Sound Income Strategies LLC increased its holdings in Smurfit Westrock by 79,790.6% in the fourth quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 127,825 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,459,000 after buying an additional 127,665 shares during the last quarter. Ascent Group LLC increased its holdings in Smurfit Westrock by 223.8% in the fourth quarter. Ascent Group LLC now owns 16,977 shares of the company’s stock valued at $657,000 after buying an additional 11,734 shares during the last quarter. Perpetual Ltd increased its holdings in Smurfit Westrock by 131.1% in the fourth quarter. Perpetual Ltd now owns 16,288 shares of the company’s stock valued at $630,000 after buying an additional 9,239 shares during the last quarter. Finally, FNY Investment Advisers LLC increased its holdings in Smurfit Westrock by 75.0% in the fourth quarter. FNY Investment Advisers LLC now owns 3,500 shares of the company’s stock valued at $135,000 after buying an additional 1,500 shares during the last quarter. 83.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.
Insider Activity at Smurfit Westrock In other news, CFO Ken Bowles sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $51.26, for a total transaction of $512,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 151,644 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,773,271.44. The trade was a 6.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Anthony P. J. Smurfit sold 40,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $51.54, for a total value of $2,061,600.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 1,642,610 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $84,660,119.40. This represents a 2.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders own 0.46% of the company’s stock.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several brokerages recently weighed in on SW. Barclays lowered their price objective on Smurfit Westrock from $56.00 to $54.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 1st. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on Smurfit Westrock in a report on Tuesday, March 24th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $49.00 price objective for the company. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on Smurfit Westrock from $61.00 to $60.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Argus decreased their target price on Smurfit Westrock from $55.00 to $45.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, December 9th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their target price on Smurfit Westrock from $51.00 to $57.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Smurfit Westrock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $55.73.
Check Out Our Latest Research Report on Smurfit Westrock
Smurfit Westrock Stock Performance Shares of SW stock opened at $39.30 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.95, a current ratio of 1.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73. The business has a 50 day moving average of $43.31 and a two-hundred day moving average of $40.68. Smurfit Westrock PLC has a 52 week low of $32.73 and a 52 week high of $52.65. The company has a market cap of $20.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.55 and a beta of 1.06.
Smurfit Westrock (NYSE:SW – Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Friday, February 27th. The company reported $0.34 EPS for the quarter. The company had revenue of $7.58 billion during the quarter. Smurfit Westrock had a return on equity of 6.10% and a net margin of 2.24%. As a group, analysts anticipate that Smurfit Westrock PLC will post 3.25 EPS for the current year.
Smurfit Westrock Increases Dividend The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 18th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 17th were given a dividend of $0.4523 per share. This is a boost from Smurfit Westrock’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.43. This represents a $1.81 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.6%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 17th. Smurfit Westrock’s payout ratio is presently 136.09%.
Smurfit Westrock Company Profile (Free Report)
Smurfit Westrock Plc, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures, distributes, and sells containerboard, corrugated containers, and other paper-based packaging products in Ireland and internationally. The company produces containerboard that it converts into corrugated containers or sells to third parties, as well as produces other types of paper, such as consumer packaging board, sack paper, graphic paper, solid board and graphic board, and other paper-based packaging products, such as consumer packaging, solid board packaging, paper sacks, and other packaging products, including bag-in-box.
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Alpha Omega Wealth Management LLC cut its holdings in shares of Smurfit Westrock PLC (NYSE:SW – Free Report) by 43.0% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 49,064 shares of the company’s stock after selling 36,945 shares during the quarter. Alpha Omega Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Smurfit Westrock were worth $1,897,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. grew its position in shares of Smurfit Westrock by 113.3% during the third quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 640 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 340 shares in the last quarter. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC purchased a new position in shares of Smurfit Westrock during the second quarter valued at about $29,000. Root Financial Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Smurfit Westrock during the third quarter valued at about $33,000. Rexford Capital Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Smurfit Westrock during the second quarter valued at about $35,000. Finally, Mather Group LLC. purchased a new position in shares of Smurfit Westrock during the third quarter valued at about $55,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 83.38% of the company’s stock.
Smurfit Westrock Trading Down 0.2% SW opened at $42.20 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $22.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.73 and a beta of 1.06. Smurfit Westrock PLC has a 12 month low of $32.73 and a 12 month high of $52.65. The company has a current ratio of 1.48, a quick ratio of 0.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $43.31 and a 200 day moving average of $40.70.
Smurfit Westrock (NYSE:SW – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 27th. The company reported $0.34 EPS for the quarter. The company had revenue of $7.58 billion during the quarter. Smurfit Westrock had a return on equity of 6.10% and a net margin of 2.24%. As a group, research analysts forecast that Smurfit Westrock PLC will post 3.25 EPS for the current year.
Smurfit Westrock Increases Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 18th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 17th were given a $0.4523 dividend. This is an increase from Smurfit Westrock’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.43. This represents a $1.81 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.3%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 17th. Smurfit Westrock’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 136.09%.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on SW. Citigroup raised their price objective on Smurfit Westrock from $48.00 to $59.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 13th. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on Smurfit Westrock in a research report on Tuesday, March 24th. They set a “buy” rating and a $49.00 price objective for the company. Truist Financial set a $60.00 price objective on Smurfit Westrock in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on Smurfit Westrock from $61.00 to $60.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price objective on Smurfit Westrock from $51.00 to $57.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Smurfit Westrock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $55.73.
Get Our Latest Report on Smurfit Westrock
Insider Activity In other Smurfit Westrock news, CEO Anthony P. J. Smurfit sold 40,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $51.54, for a total value of $2,061,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 1,642,610 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $84,660,119.40. This trade represents a 2.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CFO Ken Bowles sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $51.26, for a total transaction of $512,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 151,644 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,773,271.44. The trade was a 6.19% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.46% of the stock is owned by company insiders.
About Smurfit Westrock (Free Report)
Smurfit Westrock Plc, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures, distributes, and sells containerboard, corrugated containers, and other paper-based packaging products in Ireland and internationally. The company produces containerboard that it converts into corrugated containers or sells to third parties, as well as produces other types of paper, such as consumer packaging board, sack paper, graphic paper, solid board and graphic board, and other paper-based packaging products, such as consumer packaging, solid board packaging, paper sacks, and other packaging products, including bag-in-box.
Featured Stories Five stocks we like better than Smurfit Westrock Want to see what other hedge funds are holding SW? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Smurfit Westrock PLC (NYSE:SW – Free Report).
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DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Smurfit Westrock plc (NYSE:SW; LSE:SWR) plans to release its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2026 on Thursday, April 30, 2026 at 6.30 am ET (11.30 am BST). Smurfit Westrock's earnings release and related materials will be available at smurfitwestrock.com. At 7.30 am ET (12.30 pm BST) on the same day, Smurfit Westrock's senior management team will host a webcast for analysts and institutional investors. The webcast will be available at https://inv.
Benson Investment Management Company Inc. bought a new position in Smurfit Westrock PLC (NYSE:SW – Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 164,665 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,368,000. Smurfit Westrock comprises about 2.2% of Benson Investment Management Company Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 20th largest position.
Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Smurfit Westrock by 113.3% in the 3rd quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 640 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 340 shares during the period. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC bought a new stake in Smurfit Westrock in the 2nd quarter valued at $29,000. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Smurfit Westrock in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Mather Group LLC. bought a new stake in shares of Smurfit Westrock in the third quarter worth $55,000. Finally, MUFG Securities EMEA plc bought a new position in shares of Smurfit Westrock in the 2nd quarter valued at about $63,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 83.38% of the company’s stock.
Smurfit Westrock Stock Performance NYSE SW opened at $42.28 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $22.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.79 and a beta of 1.06. The company has a quick ratio of 0.95, a current ratio of 1.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73. Smurfit Westrock PLC has a twelve month low of $32.73 and a twelve month high of $52.65. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $43.21 and a 200 day simple moving average of $40.66.
Smurfit Westrock (NYSE:SW – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 27th. The company reported $0.34 EPS for the quarter. Smurfit Westrock had a return on equity of 6.10% and a net margin of 2.24%.The firm had revenue of $7.58 billion for the quarter. Sell-side analysts expect that Smurfit Westrock PLC will post 3.25 EPS for the current year.
Smurfit Westrock Increases Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 18th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 17th were issued a $0.4523 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 17th. This is a positive change from Smurfit Westrock’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.43. This represents a $1.81 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.3%. Smurfit Westrock’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 136.09%.
Insider Transactions at Smurfit Westrock In other news, CFO Ken Bowles sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $51.26, for a total value of $512,600.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 151,644 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,773,271.44. The trade was a 6.19% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Anthony P. J. Smurfit sold 40,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $51.54, for a total value of $2,061,600.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 1,642,610 shares in the company, valued at $84,660,119.40. The trade was a 2.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.46% of the stock is owned by insiders.
Analysts Set New Price Targets SW has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Smurfit Westrock in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Citigroup reduced their target price on shares of Smurfit Westrock from $59.00 to $53.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on Smurfit Westrock in a research report on Tuesday, March 24th. They set a “buy” rating and a $49.00 price target on the stock. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on shares of Smurfit Westrock from $61.00 to $60.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Finally, Truist Financial lowered their target price on Smurfit Westrock from $60.00 to $53.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $53.91.
Read Our Latest Report on Smurfit Westrock
Smurfit Westrock Company Profile (Free Report)
Smurfit Westrock Plc, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures, distributes, and sells containerboard, corrugated containers, and other paper-based packaging products in Ireland and internationally. The company produces containerboard that it converts into corrugated containers or sells to third parties, as well as produces other types of paper, such as consumer packaging board, sack paper, graphic paper, solid board and graphic board, and other paper-based packaging products, such as consumer packaging, solid board packaging, paper sacks, and other packaging products, including bag-in-box.
Further Reading Five stocks we like better than Smurfit Westrock
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Prior to March 31, 2026, my REaders mentioned 40 equities in their comments. Some bad-news investments (ROgues) mixed with (mostly) FAvorites. Thus, readers spoke-up about their ReFa/Ro. Top ten ReFa/Ro Dogs are projected to deliver 24.15% to 63.09% net gains by March 2027, with an average estimated gain of 35.47%. All top ten ReFa/Ro Dogs currently have share prices below projected annual dividends from a $1k investment, meeting strict yield-based criteria.
Exane Asset Management increased its holdings in shares of Smurfit Westrock PLC (NYSE:SW – Free Report) by 63.6% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 564,938 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 219,545 shares during the period. Smurfit Westrock makes up approximately 5.0% of Exane Asset Management’s portfolio, making the stock its 6th biggest holding. Exane Asset Management owned 0.11% of Smurfit Westrock worth $21,846,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. grew its holdings in Smurfit Westrock by 113.3% in the third quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 640 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 340 shares during the last quarter. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC acquired a new stake in Smurfit Westrock in the second quarter valued at $29,000. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Smurfit Westrock in the third quarter valued at $33,000. Mather Group LLC. acquired a new stake in Smurfit Westrock in the third quarter valued at $55,000. Finally, MUFG Securities EMEA plc acquired a new stake in Smurfit Westrock in the second quarter valued at $63,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 83.38% of the company’s stock.
Insider Buying and Selling at Smurfit Westrock In other news, CFO Ken Bowles sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $51.26, for a total value of $512,600.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 151,644 shares in the company, valued at $7,773,271.44. This represents a 6.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Anthony P. J. Smurfit sold 40,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $51.54, for a total value of $2,061,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 1,642,610 shares in the company, valued at $84,660,119.40. This represents a 2.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.46% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several analysts have weighed in on SW shares. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on Smurfit Westrock from $55.00 to $50.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, March 20th. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on Smurfit Westrock in a report on Tuesday, March 24th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $49.00 target price on the stock. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on Smurfit Westrock from $61.00 to $60.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, March 6th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $58.00 target price on Smurfit Westrock in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada set a $54.00 target price on Smurfit Westrock and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $53.91.
Read Our Latest Report on SW
Smurfit Westrock Stock Up 0.1% Shares of NYSE:SW opened at $42.28 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.95, a current ratio of 1.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73. Smurfit Westrock PLC has a 52-week low of $32.73 and a 52-week high of $52.65. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $43.21 and its 200-day simple moving average is $40.63. The company has a market capitalization of $22.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.79 and a beta of 1.06.
Smurfit Westrock (NYSE:SW – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, February 27th. The company reported $0.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Smurfit Westrock had a return on equity of 6.10% and a net margin of 2.24%.The business had revenue of $7.58 billion for the quarter. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Smurfit Westrock PLC will post 3.25 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Smurfit Westrock Increases Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 18th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 17th were given a $0.4523 dividend. This is an increase from Smurfit Westrock’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.43. This represents a $1.81 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.3%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 17th. Smurfit Westrock’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 136.09%.
Smurfit Westrock Company Profile (Free Report)
Smurfit Westrock Plc, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures, distributes, and sells containerboard, corrugated containers, and other paper-based packaging products in Ireland and internationally. The company produces containerboard that it converts into corrugated containers or sells to third parties, as well as produces other types of paper, such as consumer packaging board, sack paper, graphic paper, solid board and graphic board, and other paper-based packaging products, such as consumer packaging, solid board packaging, paper sacks, and other packaging products, including bag-in-box.
Featured Articles Five stocks we like better than Smurfit Westrock
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The market expects Smurfit Westrock (SW - Free Report) to deliver a year-over-year decline in earnings on higher revenues when it reports results for the quarter ended March 2026. This widely-known consensus outlook is important in assessing the company's earnings picture, but a powerful factor that might influence its near-term stock price is how the actual results compare to these estimates.
The stock might move higher if these key numbers top expectations in the upcoming earnings report, which is expected to be released on April 30. On the other hand, if they miss, the stock may move lower.
While management's discussion of business conditions on the earnings call will mostly determine the sustainability of the immediate price change and future earnings expectations, it's worth having a handicapping insight into the odds of a positive EPS surprise.
Zacks Consensus EstimateThis paper and packaging company is expected to post quarterly earnings of $0.50 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of -31.5%.
Revenues are expected to be $7.76 billion, up 1.4% from the year-ago quarter.
Estimate Revisions TrendThe consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 10.97% lower over the last 30 days to the current level. This is essentially a reflection of how the covering analysts have collectively reassessed their initial estimates over this period.
Investors should keep in mind that an aggregate change may not always reflect the direction of estimate revisions by each of the covering analysts.
Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Earnings WhisperEstimate revisions ahead of a company's earnings release offer clues to the business conditions for the period whose results are coming out. Our proprietary surprise prediction model -- the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction) -- has this insight at its core.
The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a more recent version of the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier.
Thus, a positive or negative Earnings ESP reading theoretically indicates the likely deviation of the actual earnings from the consensus estimate. However, the model's predictive power is significant for positive ESP readings only.
A positive Earnings ESP is a strong predictor of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). Our research shows that stocks with this combination produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time, and a solid Zacks Rank actually increases the predictive power of Earnings ESP.
Please note that a negative Earnings ESP reading is not indicative of an earnings miss. Our research shows that it is difficult to predict an earnings beat with any degree of confidence for stocks with negative Earnings ESP readings and/or Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) or 5 (Strong Sell).
How Have the Numbers Shaped Up for Smurfit Westrock?For Smurfit Westrock, the Most Accurate Estimate is lower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate, suggesting that analysts have recently become bearish on the company's earnings prospects. This has resulted in an Earnings ESP of -28.31%.
On the other hand, the stock currently carries a Zacks Rank of #3.
So, this combination makes it difficult to conclusively predict that Smurfit Westrock will beat the consensus EPS estimate.
Does Earnings Surprise History Hold Any Clue?While calculating estimates for a company's future earnings, analysts often consider to what extent it has been able to match past consensus estimates. So, it's worth taking a look at the surprise history for gauging its influence on the upcoming number.
For the last reported quarter, it was expected that Smurfit Westrock would post earnings of $0.46 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.34, delivering a surprise of -26.09%.
Over the last four quarters, the company has beaten consensus EPS estimates just once.
Bottom LineAn earnings beat or miss may not be the sole basis for a stock moving higher or lower. Many stocks end up losing ground despite an earnings beat due to other factors that disappoint investors. Similarly, unforeseen catalysts help a number of stocks gain despite an earnings miss.
That said, betting on stocks that are expected to beat earnings expectations does increase the odds of success. This is why it's worth checking a company's Earnings ESP and Zacks Rank ahead of its quarterly release. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.
Smurfit Westrock doesn't appear a compelling earnings-beat candidate. However, investors should pay attention to other factors too for betting on this stock or staying away from it ahead of its earnings release.
Expected Results of an Industry PlayerInternational Paper (IP - Free Report) , another stock in the Zacks Paper and Related Products industry, is expected to report earnings per share of $0.23 for the quarter ended March 2026. This estimate points to no change from the year-ago quarter. Revenues for the quarter are expected to be $6.05 billion, up 2.5% from the year-ago quarter.
Over the last 30 days, the consensus EPS estimate for International Paper has been revised 16.6% down to the current level. Nevertheless, the company now has an Earnings ESP of -19.66%, reflecting a lower Most Accurate Estimate.
When combined with a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold), this Earnings ESP makes it difficult to conclusively predict that International Paper will beat the consensus EPS estimate. The company could not beat consensus EPS estimates in any of the last four quarters.
Stay on top of upcoming earnings announcements with the Zacks Earnings Calendar.
Key Takeaways Smurfit Westrock is set to post Q1 results, with revenues rising 1.4% but EPS expected to fall y/y.SW sees stable demand from essentials and e-commerce, but weak Europe volumes and box demand weigh.Smurfit Westrock faces merger costs, though pricing actions and cost cuts may offset some pressure. Smurfit Westrock PLC (SW - Free Report) is scheduled to report first-quarter 2026 results on April 30, before market open.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues is pegged at $7.76 billion, indicating 1.4% growth from the year-ago quarter's reported figure.
The consensus mark for earnings per share (EPS) is pegged at 50 cents, indicating a year-over-year dip from 73 cents. The bottom-line estimate has moved 26.4% south in the past 60 days.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Smurfit Westrock’s Earnings Surprise HistoryThe company’s earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in one of the trailing four quarters and missed in the other three, delivering an average negative surprise of 12.4%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Factors Likely to Shape SW’s Q1 ResultsDemand for corrugated packaging and containerboard used to package essential items, such as food, beverages and medicines, has been stable. Strong growth in e-commerce and rising demand for paper as a sustainable packaging solution have favored the industry. These trends are expected to get reflected in Smurfit Westrock’s first-quarter 2026 results.
However, some of these gains are likely to have been offset by weak volumes in Europe and lower box demand. This is expected to hurt Smurfit Westrock’s quarterly results.
The merger-related costs are expected to have affected SW’s quarterly performance and free cash flow margin. Pricing actions and cost-saving initiatives are likely to have negated some of these headwinds.
Smurfit Westrock’s Q1 Segmental ProjectionThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for Europe, MEA and APAC’s revenues is pegged at $2.79 billion for the first quarter, indicating an increase from the $2.58 billion reported in the first quarter of 2025. The segment’s adjusted EBITDA is pegged at $424 million. In the prior-year quarter, the segment reported adjusted EBITDA of $389 million.
The estimates for the North America segment’s first-quarter 2026 revenues are pegged at $4.45 billion compared with the $4.58 billion reported in the year-ago quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the segment’s adjusted EBITDA is pegged at $624 million, suggesting a 20% year-over-year dip.
The LATAM segment’s revenue estimate is pegged at $524 million, suggesting year-over-year growth from $502 million. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the segment’s adjusted EBITDA is pegged at $121 million, indicating a rise from the $115 million reported in the prior-year quarter.
What the Zacks Model Unveils for SW StockOur model does not predict an earnings beat for Smurfit Westrock this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat. That is not the case here.
SW’s Earnings ESP: The Earnings ESP for Smurfit Westrock is 0.00%. You can uncover the best stocks before they are reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.
SW’s Zacks Rank: SW currently has a Zacks Rank #3.
Smurfit Westrock Stock’s Price PerformanceShares of the company have lost 2% in the past year compared with the industry’s 10.9% decline. During this time, the Basic Materials sector has jumped 49.8%, whereas the S&P 500 has grown 35.3%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Stocks Poised to Beat EstimatesHere are some Basic Materials stocks, which, according to our model, have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat in their upcoming releases.
CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (CF - Free Report) , scheduled to release first-quarter earnings on May 6, has an Earnings ESP of +1.07% and flaunts a Zacks Rank of 1 at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
CF Industries’ earnings estimates for the first quarter have moved up 11.4% over the past 60 days. The estimate is pegged at $2.35 cents per share, indicating an increase of 27% from the year-ago quarter’s actual. CF Industries has a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 13.1%.
Albemarle Corporation (ALB - Free Report) , scheduled to release first-quarter earnings on May 6, has an Earnings ESP of +20.12%. It carries a Zacks Rank #2 at present.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Albemarle’s earnings for the first quarter is pegged at $1.24, indicating a turnaround from the loss of 18 cents incurred in the year-ago quarter. Albemarle has a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 57.8%.
Kinross Gold Corporation (KGC - Free Report) , slated to release first-quarter 2026 earnings on April 29, has an Earnings ESP of +7.07% and a Zacks Rank #3.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Kinross Gold’s earnings for the first quarter is pegged at 68 cents, indicating a year-over-year upsurge of 126%. Kinross Gold has a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 26.1%.
Smurfit Westrock offers compelling value as management targets margin expansion to PKG-like levels, with a disciplined, plant-level profitability focus. SW trades at a significant discount to peers, with a forward EV/EBITDA near 6.6x and a 4.5% yield, making it attractive for value investors. Management's strategy to exit low-margin contracts and empower local managers is driving margin improvement, aiming for 20% North American EBITDA margins by 2030.
In its upcoming report, Smurfit Westrock (SW - Free Report) is predicted by Wall Street analysts to post quarterly earnings of $0.36 per share, reflecting a decline of 50.7% compared to the same period last year. Revenues are forecasted to be $7.76 billion, representing a year-over-year increase of 1.4%.
The current level reflects a downward revision of 11% in the consensus EPS estimate for the quarter over the past 30 days. This demonstrates how the analysts covering the stock have collectively reappraised their initial projections over this period.
Before a company reveals its earnings, it is vital to take into account any changes in earnings projections. These revisions play a pivotal role in predicting the possible reactions of investors toward the stock. Multiple empirical studies have consistently shown a strong association between trends in earnings estimates and the short-term price movements of a stock.
While investors typically use consensus earnings and revenue estimates as indicators of quarterly business performance, exploring analysts' projections for specific key metrics can offer valuable insights.
That said, let's delve into the average estimates of some Smurfit Westrock metrics that Wall Street analysts commonly model and monitor.
The consensus among analysts is that 'Net sales (unaffiliated customers)- Europe, MEA and APAC' will reach $2.80 billion. The estimate points to a change of +8.7% from the year-ago quarter.
Analysts forecast 'Net sales (unaffiliated customers)- LATAM' to reach $524.52 million. The estimate points to a change of +4.5% from the year-ago quarter.
It is projected by analysts that the 'Net sales (unaffiliated customers)- North America' will reach $4.45 billion. The estimate indicates a year-over-year change of -2.8%.
According to the collective judgment of analysts, 'Adjusted EBITDA- North America' should come in at $624.10 million. Compared to the current estimate, the company reported $785.00 million in the same quarter of the previous year.
Analysts predict that the 'Adjusted EBITDA- LATAM' will reach $121.62 million. Compared to the current estimate, the company reported $115.00 million in the same quarter of the previous year.
Analysts expect 'Adjusted EBITDA- Europe, MEA and APAC' to come in at $424.25 million. Compared to the present estimate, the company reported $389.00 million in the same quarter last year.
View all Key Company Metrics for Smurfit Westrock here>>>
Shares of Smurfit Westrock have experienced a change of +1.8% in the past month compared to the +12.2% move of the Zacks S&P 500 composite. With a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), SW is expected to mirror the overall market performance in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks here >>>> .
DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Smurfit Westrock plc (NYSE: SW, LSE: SWR) today announced the financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2026. Key Points: Net Sales of $7,712 million Net Income of $63 million, with a Net Income Margin of 0.8% Adjusted EBITDA1 of $1,076 million, with an Adjusted EBITDA Margin1 of 14.0% Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities of $204 million Quarterly dividend of $0.4523 per ordinary share Smurfit Westrock plc's performance for the three months ended Marc.
Smurfit Westrock (SW - Free Report) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.33 per share, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.36 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.73 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.
This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of -7.49%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this paper and packaging company would post earnings of $0.46 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.34, delivering a surprise of -26.09%.
Over the last four quarters, the company has not been able to surpass consensus EPS estimates.
Smurfit Westrock, which belongs to the Zacks Paper and Related Products industry, posted revenues of $7.71 billion for the quarter ended March 2026, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.66%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $7.66 billion. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates two times over the last four quarters.
The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call.
Smurfit Westrock shares have added about 2.6% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 4.2%.
What's Next for Smurfit Westrock?While Smurfit Westrock has underperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock?
There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately.
Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions.
Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Smurfit Westrock was mixed. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to perform in line with the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and the current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $0.68 on $7.93 billion in revenues for the coming quarter and $2.37 on $31.76 billion in revenues for the current fiscal year.
Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Paper and Related Products is currently in the bottom 12% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.
One other stock from the same industry, Rayonier Advanced Materials (RYAM - Free Report) , is yet to report results for the quarter ended March 2026. The results are expected to be released on May 5.
This maker of cellulose products is expected to post quarterly loss of $0.62 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of -26.5%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has remained unchanged over the last 30 days.
Rayonier Advanced Materials' revenues are expected to be $297.5 million, down 16.4% from the year-ago quarter.
For the quarter ended March 2026, Smurfit Westrock (SW - Free Report) reported revenue of $7.71 billion, up 0.7% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $0.33, compared to $0.73 in the year-ago quarter.
The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $7.76 billion, representing a surprise of -0.66%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of -7.49%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $0.36.
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 Smurfit Westrock performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:
Net sales (unaffiliated customers)- Europe, MEA and APAC: $2.77 billion versus the two-analyst average estimate of $2.8 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +7.3%.Net sales (unaffiliated customers)- LATAM: $540 million versus $524.52 million estimated by two analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +7.6% change.Net sales (unaffiliated customers)- North America: $4.41 billion versus $4.45 billion estimated by two analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -3.7% change.View all Key Company Metrics for Smurfit Westrock here>>>
Shares of Smurfit Westrock have returned -1.1% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +12.2% 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.
Key Takeaways SW Q1 earnings fell 51.5% y/y and missed estimates; revenues rose 0.7% but lagged forecasts.North America saw revenues drop 3.6% and EBITDA fall 23.9%, hurt by lower corrugated volumes.Europe and LATAM posted revenue growth, while SW reaffirmed its full-year 2026 EBITDA outlook of $5-$5.3B. Smurfit Westrock Plc (SW - Free Report) has posted adjusted earnings of 33 cents per share for the first quarter of 2026, down 51.5% from the year-ago period. The figure missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 36 cents.
Net revenues of $7.71 billion inched up 0.7% year over year but missed the consensus estimate of $7.76 billion.
SW’s Gross Profit Slips in Q1Smurfit Westrock reported operating profit of $253 million, down 54.2% year over year. The company’s cost of sales [SM1.1]increased 6% to $6.4 billion from the year-ago period. The gross profit fell 19.6% year over year to $1.3 billion.
Adjusted EBITDA declined to $1.08 billion from $1.25 billion a year ago, and the adjusted EBITDA margin contracted to 14% from 16.4%. Adverse weather events were a meaningful drag on quarterly net income and adjusted EBITDA, centered in the North American business.
Smurfit Westrock’s Q1 Segmental PerformanceIn North America, net revenues totaled $4.5 billion, down 3.6% year over year. While adjusted EBITDA was down 23.9% year over year to $597 million. Corrugated volumes were down 7.4% on a days-adjusted basis, underscoring the near-term pressure on the region that remains the company’s largest value creation opportunity.
Europe, MEA & APAC segment delivered net revenues of $2.8 billion, which marked an increase from $2.6 billion in the year-ago quarter. The segment’s adjusted EBITDA came in at $421 million, up 8.2% year over year. Corrugated volumes increased 0.3% on a days-adjusted basis, supported by solid order books in converting operations and increased demand for containerboard, alongside implemented containerboard price increases across Europe.
Net revenues of the LATAM segment were $0.5 billion, marking a year-over-year increase of 5.3%, aided by good volume growth in key markets. The adjusted EBITDA came in at $106 million compared with $115 million in the first quarter of 2025.
The company also highlighted an acquisition in Ecuador that expands geographic reach and strengthens global paper integration.
SW Cash Position & Balance Sheet UpdatesCash and cash equivalents ended the quarter at $674 million, down from $892 million at the start of the period. Net cash provided by operating activities was $204 million in the quarter compared with the prior-year quarter’s $235 million.
The company previously announced a quarterly dividend of 45.23 cents per share.
Smurfit Westrock Reaffirms 2026 Adjusted EBITDA OutlookFor the second quarter of 2026, SW expects adjusted EBITDA of $1.1-$1.2 billion. For 2026, the company reaffirmed its adjusted EBITDA outlook of $5-$5.3 billion, expecting a stronger and better industry operating environment.
The company also provided key planning items for 2026, including a capital expenditure of $2.4-$2.5 billion, depreciation and amortization of $2.6 billion, cash interest of $0.7 billion and cash taxes of $0.5 billion, with an effective tax rate near 29%.
SW Stock’s Price PerformanceShares of the company have lost 1.6% in the past year compared with the industry’s 8.5% decline. During this time, the Basic Materials sector has jumped 43.2%, whereas the S&P 500 has grown 34.1%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Smurfit Westrock’s Zacks RankThe company currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
SW’s Peer PerformanceInternational Paper Company (IP - Free Report) reported a first-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings of 15 cents per share, which missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings of 18 cents.
International Paper’s revenues were $5.97 billion in the quarter under review, up 1.2% from the year-ago quarter. The top line missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $6.04 billion.
Packaging Corporation of America (PKG - Free Report) posted adjusted earnings of $2.40 per share in the first quarter of 2026, up 3.9% from $2.31 a year ago. The reported figure beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.17 by 10.6%.
Packaging Corp’s revenues rose 10.6% year over year to $2.37 billion but missed the consensus mark of $2.41 billion by 1.9%.
Paper & Related Product Stock Awaiting ResultsRayonier Advanced Materials (RYAM - Free Report) is expected to release first-quarter 2026 results on May 5. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the bottom line is pegged at a loss of 62 cents per share. The company posted a loss of 49 cents in the year-ago quarter.
The consensus estimate for Rayonier Advanced Materials’ top line is pegged at $297.5 million, indicating a 16% decline from the prior-year reported figure.
DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Smurfit Westrock plc (the “Company”) today filed a Form 8-K with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) which notes that the Company held its 2026 annual general meeting of shareholders (the “Annual General Meeting”) earlier today, May 1, 2026 and that all directors put forward for election at the Annual General Meeting were elected by the shareholders and all other resolutions recommended by the Company's Board of Directors were passed at the Annual General Meeting. The Form 8-K (which provides the results of the polls conducted in connection with the Annual General Meeting) is available on the SEC's website at https://www.sec.gov and on the Company's website at https://investors.smurfitwestrock.com/financials/sec-filings/default.aspx
In accordance with UKLR 14.3.6 and UKLR 14.3.7, copies of the resolutions passed at the Annual General Meeting, other than ordinary business, will be submitted to the National Storage Mechanism and will shortly be available for inspection at https://data.fca.org.uk/#/nsm/nationalstoragemechanism
Revenues were slightly ahead of expectations, while EBITDA missed due to weather and cost pressures; underlying demand trends improved into April with order books strengthening materially. SW's value-over-volume strategy, price increases, and ongoing optimization support downside protection and margin expansion targets. Solid new customer momentum and announced price increases in North America and Europe should support margin recovery.
DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Smurfit Westrock, today announces its intention to delist from the London Stock Exchange (the “LSE”) (the “LSE Delisting”). Once the LSE Delisting takes effect, the Company will be solely listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Background to and Reasons for the LSE Delisting On 30 April 2026, Smurfit Westrock announced its intention to undertake a review of its listing on the LSE. As part of the review, the Company carefully considered, among other factors, the level of.
Shares of Sonoco Products NYSE: SON are under pressure after the company delivered its Q1 2026 earnings. The company missed on the top and bottom lines with the business under pressure, largely due to inflationary duress from rising energy prices.
Sonoco’s earnings report is a good example of what happens during earnings season when results don’t meet expectations. In this case, management had previously been bullish about the company growing adjusted earnings by 20% in its fiscal year 2026. That prediction is in jeopardy after the company delivered Q1 earnings that were flat year-over-year (YOY). But that requires more context.
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An Earnings Number That Gets ComplicatedSonoco reported Q1 2026 adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $1.20, which the company characterized as flat YOY. However, the adjusted EPS figure for Q1 2025 was $1.38, which included contributions from ThermoSafe, the temperature-assurance logistics business Sonoco subsequently divested. Stripping ThermoSafe out of the prior-year comparison, continuing operations generated $1.20 in Q1 2025 as well, making the flat characterization technically accurate on a like-for-like basis.
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SON
Sonoco Products
$49.77 +0.78 (+1.60%)
As of 02:41 PM Eastern
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52-Week Range$38.65▼
$58.44Dividend Yield4.34%
P/E Ratio4.87
Price Target$60.11
However, this isn’t a trivial distinction for shareholders. Investors who owned Sonoco a year ago received the economic benefit of $1.38 in earnings per share. The portfolio is now smaller, and the difference of 18 cents represents earnings that left with ThermoSafe.
Whether that trade was worthwhile depends on two factors. First, how Sonoco deploys the divestiture proceeds. The report shows that the company has primarily been putting those toward debt reduction and the ongoing integration of Eviosys. Second, whether the remaining two-segment business can grow earnings from the $1.20 baseline. Management's decision to guide toward the low end of full-year adjusted EPS guidance of $5.80-$6.20 suggests the path forward, while intact, faces real near-term headwinds from volume softness and input cost inflation.
Cash Flow: Ugly Number, Understandable ReasonSonoco's Q1 operating cash flow was approximately $368 million, compared to approximately $208 million in Q1 2025. That's a sharp decline, but context matters. Approximately $103 million of the difference reflects taxes paid on gains from the divested ThermoSafe business, which is a non-recurring item. Management left full-year operating cash flow guidance unchanged at $700 million to $800 million. That means they view Q1 as an anomaly, not a trend.
Still, total debt increased by $363 million during the quarter. Net debt to total capital rose to 55.5% from 52.1% at year-end. That's not alarming yet, but it's a number worth watching. If free cash flow remains pressured into Q2, leverage could become part of the conversation.
A Growth Catalyst Hidden in the Industrial SegmentAmid the headline noise, one number stands out. Sonoco's reels volume. This means the industrial spools used to transport fiber-optic cables. The sector grew approximately 7% in Q1. That's directly tied to data center and AI infrastructure buildout. Demand for fiber connectivity is accelerating as hyperscalers expand capacity.
Sonoco is not waiting passively. The company is investing $20 million to expand nailed-wood reel capacity in Hartselle, Alabama. The expansion adds 15% incremental capacity. For investors looking past near-term inflation headwinds, this positions Sonoco as a quiet infrastructure play.
Priced for Perfection, What’s Next for SONSON gapped down after the earnings miss, but that shouldn’t have been a big surprise. The stock was trading near its 52-week high in the weeks before earnings, which made the report a make-or-break moment.
The stock sliced below its 50-day simple moving average and is now trading near its 200-day SMA, which may be a key line in the sand. If SON drops below that, the 52-week low could be in play. But with the stock showing signs of being oversold, that could be a buying opportunity for patient, risk-tolerant investors.
Is the Dividend Enough?At the high end of the company’s full-year EPS guidance, it would deliver 8% YOY growth. However, management is now guiding to the lower end of that range, which would mean earnings would effectively be flat YOY.
There are reasons to believe that Sonoco’s prospects could improve, particularly if inflationary pressure eases. But “if” is not always a sound investable thesis.
However, even if Sonoco continues to face revenue pressure, SON looks inexpensive at only about 8.4X forward earnings. That's a discount to its historic average. On top of that, investors get a safe dividend that the company increased for the 43rd consecutive year on April 15.
It’s also important to note that the analyst forecasts have a consensus price target of $61.78 on SON, which is a greater-than 20% premium to the current price. Investors should watch to see if the stock gets any significant re-ratings or changes to its price targets in the next few weeks.
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HARTSVILLE, S.C., April 29, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sonoco Products Company (NYSE: SON), a global leader in high-value sustainable packaging, has again been named to Newsweek’s list of America’s Most Trustworthy Companies.
This year’s ranking, presented alongside leading market research firm Statista Inc., included 700 companies in 23 industries ranging from retail, travel, hospitality and food and beverages. Rankings were determined through an independent survey of 25,000 U.S. respondents, which resulted in over 100,000 evaluations reflecting the perspectives of consumers, employees and investors, along with online media sentiment.
“We’re proud to once again receive this highly regarded recognition,” said Howard Coker, Sonoco President and CEO. “It’s through the work of our people, who believe in building this business by doing the right thing, that we’ve been able to earn the trust of stakeholders year after year, enabling us to continue advancing our mission of building better packaging for better lives.”
Companies were selected through a comprehensive screening process that included both public and private U.S.-headquartered organizations with revenues exceeding $500 million.
For more information about Sonoco awards and accolades, visit sonoco.com/about/awards-accolades.
About Sonoco
Founded in 1899, Sonoco (NYSE: SON) is a global leader in value-added, sustainable metal and paper consumer and industrial packaging. The Company had net sales of $7.5 billion from continuing operations in 2025 and has approximately 22,000 employees working in 265 operations in 37 countries, serving some of the world’s best-known brands. Guided by our purpose of Better Packaging. Better Life., we strive to foster a culture of innovation, collaboration and excellence to provide solutions that better serve all our stakeholders and support a more sustainable future. Sonoco was proudly named one of the World’s Most Admired Companies by Fortune in 2026 as well as one of America’s Most Admired and Responsible Companies by Fortune and Newsweek and by USA TODAY’s list of America’s Climate Leaders in 2025. For more information on the Company, visit our website at www.sonoco.com.
On April 28, 2026, EDMP, INC. disclosed a new position in Sonoco Products Company (SON +1.35%), acquiring 53,828 shares in an estimated $2.77 million trade based on quarterly average pricing.
The quarter-end value of the position increased by $2.91 million, reflecting both the share purchase and price movements during the period.The transaction represented a 2.2% increase relative to the fund’s 13F reportable assets under management.At quarter-end, the fund held 53,828 shares valued at $2.91 million.The Sonoco stake represents 2.4% of EDMP, INC.’s 13F AUM, placing it outside the fund's top five holdings.What happenedAccording to a SEC filing dated April 28, 2026, EDMP, INC. reported a new position in Sonoco Products Company, acquiring 53,828 shares. The estimated value of this purchase was $2.77 million based on the average closing prices during the first quarter. As of March 31, 2026, the position was valued at $2.91 million, reflecting both the share addition and price appreciation during the quarter.
What else to knowThis was a new position for the fund, representing 2.4% of 13F reportable assets under management at quarter-end.Top holdings after the filing:NASDAQ: AVGO: $9.53 million (7.7% of AUM)NASDAQ: AMGN: $5.46 million (4.4% of AUM)NYSE: ABBV: $5.34 million (4.3% of AUM)NYSE: MO: $5.10 million (4.1% of AUM)NYSE: OHI: $4.92 million (4.0% of AUM)As of April 27, 2026, Sonoco Products Company shares were priced at $50.25.The stock has returned 13.2% over the past year, underperforming the S&P 500 by 16.0 percentage points.Forward P/E ratio is 7.78; EV/EBITDA stands at 6.27.Sonoco Products Company’s trailing twelve months revenue was $7.49 billion, with net income of $1.04 billion.The latest reported dividend yield is 4.2%.Company overviewMetricValueRevenue (TTM)$7.49 billionNet income (TTM)$609.4 millionDividend yield4.2%Price (as of April 28, 2026)$49.91Company snapshotSonoco Products Company offers a broad portfolio of packaging products, including rigid paper containers, flexible packaging, protective packaging, and industrial paper-based tubes and cores.SON generates revenue by manufacturing and selling packaging solutions to consumer and industrial markets globally, leveraging both proprietary technology and recycled materials.Sonoco serves a diverse customer base across industries such as food, beverage, paper, textile, construction, and wire and cable, with operations spanning North and South America, Europe, Australia, and Asia.Sonoco Products Company is a leading global provider of packaging solutions, with a significant presence in both consumer and industrial markets.
What this transaction means for investorsEDMP's new Sonoco stake lines up with how the rest of the portfolio is built. The book skews toward established dividend payers, often bought at depressed multiples, and Sonoco fits that screen cleanly — a solid yield paired with deep-value earnings and cash-flow multiples. The stock is priced that way for visible reasons: it has lagged the broader market over the past year, and Sonoco carries elevated leverage from recent M&A activity. Where investors might pause is on size. At roughly 2.4% of AUM, Sonoco lands outside EDMP's top five and well below the fund's largest position. Meaningful, but not a top-conviction slot. For investors tracking institutional flow, that's the read here: a fund adding a name that fits its style, at a size that says interested rather than committed.
Seena Hassouna has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends AbbVie, Amgen, and Broadcom. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Sonoco Products is rated a Buy, offering a 4.3% yield and trading at a 20% discount to fair value. SON's 43-year dividend growth streak and strong customer retention underpin reliable, inflation-beating income. Despite near-term margin pressure and cautious guidance, I expect 7% EPS growth and 4.5% dividend CAGR over five years.
Paul Joachimczyk, Chief Financial Officer of Sonoco Products Company (SON +1.35%), reported the acquisition of 8,058 shares in an open-market purchase valued at ~$400,000 on April 24, 2026, according to a SEC Form 4 filing.
Transaction summaryMetricValueShares traded (direct)8,058Transaction value$400,000Post-transaction shares (direct)28,558Post-transaction value (direct ownership)$1.42 millionTransaction and post-transaction values based on SEC Form 4 reported purchase price ($49.64).
Key questionsWhat proportion of existing holdings does this purchase represent?
The acquisition expanded direct holdings by 39.31%, increasing the CFO's stake from 20,500 to 28,558 shares.Is there evidence of a trend or pattern in recent insider activity?
This is the second major open-market purchase by Paul Joachimczyk since October 2025, with cumulative net buying totaling 28,558 shares and no sales recorded to date.How does the transaction price compare to current and recent trading levels?
The purchase price of $49.64 per share was approximately 2.5% above the April 24, 2026 market close of $48.45 and is within 1.2% of the trading price of $50.25 as of April 28, 2026.What is the current scale of insider ownership relative to overall company equity?
Following the transaction, the CFO holds 0.029% of outstanding shares, aligning with typical insider ownership levels for large-cap industrial firms.Company overviewMetricValueEmployees23,400Revenue (TTM)$7.49 billionNet income (TTM)$1.02 billion1-year price change13.23%* 1-year performance calculated using April 24th, 2026 as the reference date.
Company snapshotSonoco Products Company offers industrial and consumer packaging products including rigid paper containers, flexible packaging, molded foam, and temperature-assured packaging, with revenue primarily from the Consumer Packaging and Industrial Paper Packaging segments.It operates a global manufacturing footprint, generating revenue through the production and sale of fiber-based, plastic, and metal packaging solutions to a diversified set of end markets.The company serves customers in the paper, textile, food, chemical, packaging, construction, and wire and cable industries across North and South America, Europe, Australia, and Asia.Sonoco Products Company is a leading global manufacturer of packaging solutions, leveraging a broad product portfolio and extensive operational scale. The company’s strategy focuses on serving diverse industrial and consumer markets with innovative, fiber-based, and sustainable packaging.
Sonoco’s longstanding presence and integrated business model provide a competitive edge through supply chain efficiency and customer diversification.
What this transaction means for investorsThe April 24 purchase of Sonoco Products stock by CFO Paul Joachimczyk is a noteworthy event, especially given shares hit a 52-week high of $58.44 in February, and are still well above the low of $38.65. The buy demonstrates Joachimczyk is bullish on the stock’s future.
Shares rose after Sonoco reported 2025 revenue of $7.5 billion, an impressive 42% year-over-year increase, and reduced net debt by 40% year over year, strengthening its balance sheet.
However, the stock dropped after first quarter results showed sales slipped 2% year over year to $1.68 billion, and the company’s 2026 sales guidance projected between $7.25 billion to $7.75 billion in revenue, which is comparable to 2025 performance. The Q1 sales drop was due to the divestiture of its ThermoSafe business, and should bounce back over the long term.
That could be a factor in why Joachimczyk purchased shares. The buy makes sense considering Sonoco stock’s valuation. Its price-to-earnings ratio of eight is around a low point for the past year, suggesting shares are at an attractive price level relative to earnings. This suggests now may be a good time to pick up Sonoco Products stock.
Robert Izquierdo has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Key Takeaways Amcor posted Q3 EPS of 96 cents, matching estimates, while sales jumped 77% y/y to $5.91B, beating forecasts.AMCR growth was driven by the Berry buyout, adding $2.4B in sales, with $77M in synergies boosting results.Amcor cut its FY26 EPS and free cash flow outlook, citing higher inventory costs tied to supply concerns. Amcor plc (AMCR - Free Report) has delivered third-quarter fiscal 2026 adjusted earnings of 96 cents per share, up 6% year over year and in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Reported net sales climbed 77% from the year-ago quarter to $5.91 billion and beat the consensus mark of $5.69 billion.
Results reflected the first full year of the Berry combination and continued integration progress, including $77 million of acquisition synergies in the quarter, along with cost and productivity actions that supported profitability.
AMCR’s Margins Improve Despite Integration CostsProfitability advanced meaningfully in the quarter as adjusted EBITDA rose to $892 million from $477 million in the prior-year quarter, translating to a 15.1% margin, up from 14.3% a year ago. Adjusted EBIT increased to $687 million from the prior-year quarter’s $384 million, with the adjusted EBIT margin increasing to 11.6%, highlighting better mix and execution across the combined platform.
The top line was primarily shaped by acquisition-driven expansion. On a constant-currency basis, net sales grew 70% year over year, including $2.4 billion of acquired sales net of divestments, while raw material pass-through had no material impact on consolidated revenues.
Underlying demand remained pressured. Amcor estimated that volumes were 1.5% lower than estimated combined volumes for the legacy Amcor and legacy Berry businesses in the prior-year quarter (excluding non-core and divested businesses). Price/mix was described as having no material impact on net sales.
Amcor’s Flexibles Segment Gains From Scale BenefitsGlobal Flexible Packaging Solutions posted net sales of $3.25 billion, up 35% on a reported basis and 29% in constant currency. Our sales projection for the Global Flexible Packaging Solutions segment was $3.4 billion. Adjusted EBIT increased to $452 million from the prior-year quarter’s $343 million, lifting segment profitability.
The company cited higher volumes in pet food and protein, offset by softer demand in healthcare and other nutrition. Regional trends were also mixed, with volumes lower across North America and Europe and higher across Asia. The segment’s profit improvement reflected integration benefits, productivity and cost performance, partly offset by the volume backdrop.
AMCR’s Rigids Segment Absorbs Weather DisruptionsGlobal Rigid Packaging Solutions generated net sales of $2.66 billion, up 187% year over year on a reported basis and 174% in constant currency, again reflecting the enlarged portfolio following the Berry deal. We expected sales for the quarter to be $2.3 billion. Adjusted EBIT rose to $276 million, marking a significant increase from the prior-year quarter’s $70 million.
However, the company highlighted an estimated $25-million impact of U.S. storms within the segment, which tempered the results even as synergy capture and cost initiatives supported profitability in the combined footprint.
Amcor’s Balance Sheet UpdatesAs of March 31, 2026, Amcor had $1.59 billion in cash and cash equivalents compared with $0.83 billion as of June 30, 2025. The company generated $556 million of cash in operating activities in the first nine months of fiscal 2026 compared with $276 million in the year-ago comparable period, while net debt stood at $14.27 billion at the quarter-end. The board also declared a quarterly dividend of 65 cents per share.
AMCR Lowers EPS & Free Cash Flow ViewAMCR has updated its fiscal 2026 outlook, guiding adjusted earnings of $3.98-$4.03 per share, lower than the prior stated $4.00-$4.15. The company also reduced its free cash flow forecast to $1.5-$1.6 billion from the previously mentioned $1.8-$1.9 billion, citing a shift toward higher inventory levels at higher costs to protect customer service levels amid Middle East conflict-related supply considerations.
Amcor’s Zacks RankAmcor currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
AMCR’s Price PerformanceIn the past year, AMCR shares have lost 12.5% compared with the industry’s 6.6% fall.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Quarterly Performances of Other Packaging StocksSonoco Products Company (SON - Free Report) delivered adjusted earnings of $1.20 per share in the first quarter of fiscal 2026, topping the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.19 by 0.84%. The figure declined 13% from $1.38 in the year-ago quarter.
Sonoco’s net sales were $1.68 billion, declining 1.9% year over year and lagging the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.71 billion by 1.95%. Pricing actions and productivity were key offsets to softer volume/mix during the quarter. SON’s top line dipped from the prior-year period due to the absence of sales from the ThermoSafe temperature-assured packaging business, which was divested in November 2025.
Packaging Corporation of America (PKG - Free Report) posted adjusted earnings of $2.40 per share in the first quarter of 2026, up 3.9% from $2.31 a year ago. Packaging Corp’s results beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of earnings $2.17 by 10.6%.
Net sales rose 10.6% year over year to $2.37 billion but missed the consensus mark of $2.41 billion by 1.9%. Favorable pricing and mix, along with lower fiber costs, supported Packaging Corp’s results, though special items weighed on reported profitability.
Avery Dennison Corporation (AVY - Free Report) registered adjusted earnings of $2.47 per share for the first quarter of 2026, rising 7.4% from the year-ago period and beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.41. Avery Dennison’s revenues were $2.298 billion, growing 7% year over year and surpassing the consensus mark of $2.271 billion by 1.2%.
Sales advanced 2.3%, excluding currency, as a 4.7% foreign-currency headwind weighed on reported growth. Organic sales increased 1.1%, while acquisitions were a 1.2% drag on the quarter’s growth bridge.
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Companies that have raised dividends for shareholders for 50 years or more are the kinds of investments passive income investors need to own. Dependability is crucial for individuals seeking to increase their annual income through dividend stock investments. The Dividend Kings are the 56 companies that have raised their dividends for at least 50 years, a testament to their dependability and reliability. These are two essential qualities for investors who rely on passive income to boost their overall income. Unlike the Dividend Aristocrats, the Dividend Kings do not have to be members of the S&P 500.
We put together a growth-and-income portfolio with five of the highest-yielding Dividend Kings. Investing $20,000 in each will generate $5,400 in safe, predictable passive income. Investors could increase that amount by selling covered call options on their holdings. Plus, since these companies raise their dividends every year, the income is likely to increase slightly each year. The purchase amounts and dividend income totals are based on the time this post was written.
Universal This somewhat off-the-radar company is one of the world’s leading tobacco merchants, and it operates as a global tobacco leaf supplier rather than a cigarette manufacturer. Universal (NYSE: UVV) has reported strong demand and has been in business for almost 150 years, and it pays a 6.07% dividend.
The company operates through two segments: Tobacco Operations and Ingredients Operations. It procures, finances, processes, packs, stores, and ships leaf tobacco for sale to manufacturers of consumer tobacco products.
The company also:
Contracts, purchases, processes, and sells flue-cured, burley, and oriental tobaccos that are primarily used in the manufacture of cigarettes Dark air-cured tobaccos manufacture naturally wrapped cigars, cigarillos, and smokeless and pipe tobacco products Universal provides such value-added services as:
Blending, chemical, and physical tobacco testing Service cutting for various manufacturers Manufacturing reconstituted leaf tobacco Just-in-time inventory management services Electronic nicotine delivery systems Customer smoke testing services $20,000 would purchase 370 shares, which pay $3.28 per year for a total of $1,213 per year.
Altria Altria Group (NYSE: MO | MO Price Prediction) is one of the world’s largest producers and marketers of cigarettes and other tobacco-related products. This stock offers value investors a solid entry point and a 5.72% dividend. Altria increased its quarterly dividend in the fall of 2025 by 3.9%, from $1.02 to $1.06 per share, marking its 57th consecutive dividend increase.
Altria manufactures and sells smokable and oral tobacco products in the United States. It sells its tobacco products primarily to wholesalers, including distributors and large retail organizations, such as chain stores. The company primarily sells cigarettes under the Marlboro brand, as well as:
Cigars and pipe tobacco, principally under the Black & Mild and Middleton brands Moist smokeless tobacco and snus products under the Copenhagen, Skoal, Red Seal, and Husky brands on! Oral nicotine pouches e-vapor products under the NJOY ACE brand Altria used to own over 10% of Anheuser-Busch InBev (NYSE: BUD), the world’s largest brewer. In March of 2024, the company sold 35 million of its 197 million shares through a global secondary offering. That represents 18% of its holdings but still leaves Altria with 8% of the outstanding shares. Altria also announced a $2.4 billion stock repurchase plan partially funded by the sale.
$20,000 would buy 280 shares, paying $4.24 per year, for a total of $1,187.
Hormel Foods This American food processing company was founded in 1891 in Austin, Minnesota. Hormel Foods (NYSE: HRL) offers dual pricing power through both branded products and private-label manufacturing. Its yield is historically high, and the Hormel Foundation’s oversight ensures dividend reliability. The company is restructuring its portfolio and cutting costs to improve performance.
Hormel develops, processes, and distributes a range of meat, nuts, and other food products to retail, foodservice, deli, and commercial customers in the United States and internationally. It operates through three segments:
Retail Food Service International The company provides various perishable products, including fresh meats, frozen items, refrigerated meal solutions, sausages, hams, guacamoles, and bacon, and shelf-stable products, including canned luncheon meats, nut butter, snack nuts, chili, shelf-stable microwaveable meals, hash, stews, tortillas, salsas, tortilla chips, nutritional food supplements, and others. It sells its products under these brands:
Hormel Always Tender Applegate Austin Blues Bacon 1 Black Label Bread Ready Burke Café H Ceratti Chi-Chi’s Columbus Compleats Corn Nuts Cure 81 Dan’s Prize Di Lusso Dinty Moore Don Miguel Doña Maria Embasa Fast N Easy Fire Braised Fontanini Happy Little Plants Herdez Hormel Gatherings Hormel Square Table Hormel Vital Cuisine House of Tsang Jennie-O Justin’s La Victoria Layout Lloyd’s Mary Kitchen Mr. Peanut Natural Choice Nut-rition Old Smokehouse Oven Ready Pillow Pack Planters Rosa Grande Sadler’s Smokehouse Skippy Spam Special Recipe Thick & Easy Valley Fresh Wholly $20,000 will purchase 956 shares at $1.17 apiece, paying $1,118 per year.
Kimberly-Clark This American multinational personal care company primarily produces paper-based consumer products. Kimberly-Clark (NYSE: KMB) stock declined 23% in 2025, pushing it close to a 12-year low. The company has raised its dividend for 53 consecutive years, and the current yield is a rich 5.29%.
It operates through three segments. The Personal Care segment offers a diverse range of products, including:
Disposable diapers Swim pants, training and youth pants, baby wipes Feminine and incontinence care products, as well as related products under the Huggies, Pull-Ups, Little Swimmers, GoodNites, DryNites, Sweety, Kotex, U by Kotex, Intimus, Depends, Plenitud, Softex, Poise, and other brand names The Consumer Tissue segment provides facial and bathroom tissues, paper towels, napkins, and related products under the brand names:
Kleenex Scott Cottonelle Viva Andrex Scottex Neve The K-C Professional segment offers wipers, tissues, towels, apparel, soaps, and sanitizers under the Kleenex, Scott, WypAll, Kimtech, and KleenGuard brands.
In 2025, Kimberly-Clark announced it would acquire Kenvue (NYSE: KVUE) in a $48.7 billion deal, with the transaction expected to close in the second half of 2026. The acquisition will create a combined consumer health and wellness company, with Kenvue shareholders receiving $3.50 in cash plus 0.14625 shares of Kimberly-Clark.
Piper Sandler has an Overweight rating with a $114 target price.
$20,000 will buy 205 shares, which pay $512 per year for a total of $1,044.
Sonoco Products While very off the radar of most investors, this company makes products that are constantly in demand, and it pays a solid 4.27% dividend. Sonoco Products (NYSE: SON) is a global designer, developer, and manufacturer of a variety of highly engineered and sustainable packaging serving multiple end markets. Its segments include:
Consumer Packaging Industrial Paper Packaging Products in the Consumer Packaging segment consist of rigid packaging (paper, metal, and plastic) and primarily serve the consumer staples market, focusing on food, beverage, household, personal, and pharmaceutical products. The company’s rigid paper containers are manufactured from 100% recycled paperboard provided primarily from Sonoco’s global paper operations. These paper products are primarily used in the food and beverage markets.
Products within the Industrial Paper Packaging segment consist primarily of goods produced from recycled fiber, including:
Paperboard tubes Cores Cones and cans Partitions Paper-based protective materials Uncoated recycled paperboard for high-end applications, such as folding cartons, can board, and laminated structures $20,000 will buy 387 shares, which pay $2.16 per year for a total of $835 per year.
, /PRNewswire/ -- Sonae (Euronext Lissabon: SON), ein in Portugal ansässiger multinationaler Konzern, der ein breit gefächertes Portfolio an Unternehmen in den Bereichen Einzelhandel, Immobilien, Telekommunikation, Technologie und Innovation verwaltet, erzielte im Jahr 2025 einen Rekordumsatz von 11,4 Milliarden Euro, was einem Wachstum von 14,2 % gegenüber dem Vorjahr entspricht. Diese Entwicklung spiegelt das solide Wachstum des Einzelhandelsgeschäfts sowie die Investitionen in Akquisitionen in den letzten zwei Jahren wider.
Aufgrund des Wachstums der Gruppe, erheblicher Effizienzsteigerungen im operativen Geschäft und Investitionen in den Ausbau ihres globalen Portfolios erreichte das bereinigte EBITDA 1,1 Milliarden Euro, was einem Anstieg von 23,6 % gegenüber 2024 entspricht; das Gesamt-EBITDA stieg um 17,6 % auf 1,2 Milliarden Euro, und das den Aktionären zurechenbare Nettoergebnis stieg um 11 % auf 247 Millionen Euro. Der Aktienkurs von Sonae entwickelte sich sehr positiv und stieg im Jahr 2025 um 76 %.
Cláudia Azevedo, CEO von Sonae, erklärt: „Wir sind von der Stärke unseres Portfolios überzeugt, das für eine langfristige Wertschöpfung gut aufgestellt ist. Es ist sowohl geografisch als auch branchenübergreifend ausgewogen, wobei alle Geschäftsbereiche über relevante Marktpositionen und starke Wertversprechen verfügen und von der Präsenz in Märkten mit soliden strukturellen Wachstumsfaktoren profitieren. Wir blicken zuversichtlich und optimistisch in die Zukunft."
Im Einzelhandel nehmen die Marken der Sonae-Gruppe in ihren jeweiligen Segmenten auf mehreren europäischen Märkten eine führende Position ein. Sie betreiben ein Netz von mehr als 2.500 eigenen Filialen, wobei im vergangenen Jahr 128 neue Filialen eröffnet wurden. Im Lebensmitteleinzelhandel ist MC in Portugal mit der Marke Continente Marktführer und betreibt Hypermärkte, Supermärkte sowie Convenience-Formate.
Im Bereich Gesundheit und Schönheit ist die Gruppe in Spanien mit Druni und Arenal – einem 50:50-Joint-Venture zwischen MC und der Familie Casp – sowie in Portugal mit Wells marktführend. Im Elektronikfachhandel gehört Sonae die Kette Worten, die in Portugal Marktführer ist und neben Spanien auch in mehreren anderen Ländern über ihr Service- und Reparaturunternehmen iServices vertreten ist. Im Modeeinzelhandel besitzt die Gruppe „Salsa", einen Denim-Spezialisten, der in rund 50 Ländern vertreten ist.
Im Bereich Haustierpflege ist Musti in sieben Regionen tätig und Marktführer in den nordischen und baltischen Ländern.
Über Sierra ist Sonae zudem weltweit im Immobiliensektor aktiv und entwickelt und verwaltet Einkaufszentren sowie Immobilienprojekte, unter anderem im Büro- und Wohnsegment. Sierra unterhält zudem eine Partnerschaft mit Bankinter zur Verwaltung von ORES, einem Fonds, der in Immobilienobjekte auf der Iberischen Halbinsel investiert. Darüber hinaus gehört Sierra zur Muttergesellschaft von ALLOS, dem führenden Betreiber von Einkaufszentren in Lateinamerika. Im Oktober übernahm Sierra den Geschäftsbereich Immobilienmanagement von Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield und wurde damit zum zweitgrößten externen Einkaufszentrumsbetreiber in Deutschland.
Über ihre Tochtergesellschaft Bright Pixel hält die Gruppe zudem Beteiligungen an Technologieunternehmen, die in Firmen und Start-ups investieren, welche Lösungen für die Bereiche Einzelhandel, Telekommunikation und Cybersicherheit anbieten.
Über seine Tochtergesellschaft Sparkfood ist Sonae zudem im Bereich der Lieferung von natürlichen Extrakten und Wirkstoffen für die Human-, Tier- und Pflanzenpflege tätig.
Weitere Informationen finden Sie unter www.sonae.pt.
, /PRNewswire/ -- Sonae (Euronext Lisbon: SON), a Portuguese-based multinational managing a diversified portfolio of businesses across retail, real estate, telecommunications, technology and innovation, achieved record turnover of €11.4 billion in 2025, growing 14.2% year-on-year. This performance reflects the solid growth of its retail businesses and investment in acquisitions over the past two years.
As a result of the Group's growth, significant operational efficiency gains and investment in the expansion of its global portfolio, underlying EBITDA reached €1.1 billion, increasing 23.6% compared to 2024, total EBITDA rose 17.6% to €1.2 billion, and net result attributable to shareholders increased 11% to €247 million. Sonae's share price delivered a strong performance, rising 76% in 2025.
Cláudia Azevedo, CEO of Sonae, states: "We are confident in the strength of our portfolio, which is well positioned for long-term value creation. It is balanced both geographically and across sectors, with all businesses holding relevant market positions and strong value propositions, benefiting from exposure to markets with solid structural tailwinds. We look to the future with confidence and optimism."
In the retail sector, Sonae Group's brands hold leading positions in their respective segments across several European markets, operating a network of more than 2,500 owned stores, with 128 new stores opened in the last year. In food retail, MC is the market leader in Portugal through the Continente brand, operating hypermarket, supermarket and convenience formats.
In the health and beauty segment, the Group is a market leader in Spain through Druni and Arenal, a 50/50 partnership between MC and the Casp family, and in Portugal through Wells. In electronics retail, Sonae owns Worten, the market leader in Portugal, with operations in Spain, as well as in several countries through its services and repair company iServices. In fashion retail, the Group owns Salsa, a denim specialist present in around 50 countries.
In the pet care segment, Musti operates in seven geographies and is the market leader in the Nordic and Baltic countries.
Through Sierra, Sonae also operates globally in the real estate sector, developing and managing shopping centres and real estate projects, including in the office and residential segments. Sierra also has a partnership with Bankinter for the management of ORES, which invests in real estate assets in Iberia. Additionally, Sierra is part of the controlling group of ALLOS, the leading shopping centre operator in Latin America. In October, Sierra acquired the Real Estate Management division of Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, becoming the second-largest third-party shopping centre manager in Germany.
The Group also holds investments in technology companies through its subsidiary Bright Pixel, which invests in companies and start-ups with solutions for the retail, telecommunications and cybersecurity sectors.
Through its Sparkfood unit, Sonae also operates in the supply of natural extracts and active ingredients for human, pet and plant care.
, /PRNewswire/ -- Sonae (Euronext Lisbon: SON), a Portuguese-based multinational managing a diversified portfolio of businesses across retail, real estate, telecommunications, technology and innovation, achieved record turnover of €11.4 billion in 2025, growing 14.2% year-on-year. This performance reflects the solid growth of its retail businesses and investment in acquisitions over the past two years.
As a result of the Group's growth, significant operational efficiency gains and investment in the expansion of its global portfolio, underlying EBITDA reached €1.1 billion, increasing 23.6% compared to 2024, total EBITDA rose 17.6% to €1.2 billion, and net result attributable to shareholders increased 11% to €247 million. Sonae's share price delivered a strong performance, rising 76% in 2025.
Cláudia Azevedo, CEO of Sonae, states: "We are confident in the strength of our portfolio, which is well positioned for long-term value creation. It is balanced both geographically and across sectors, with all businesses holding relevant market positions and strong value propositions, benefiting from exposure to markets with solid structural tailwinds. We look to the future with confidence and optimism."
In the retail sector, Sonae Group's brands hold leading positions in their respective segments across several European markets, operating a network of more than 2,500 owned stores, with 128 new stores opened in the last year. In food retail, MC is the market leader in Portugal through the Continente brand, operating hypermarket, supermarket and convenience formats.
In the health and beauty segment, the Group is a market leader in Spain through Druni and Arenal, a 50/50 partnership between MC and the Casp family, and in Portugal through Wells. In electronics retail, Sonae owns Worten, the market leader in Portugal, with operations in Spain, as well as in several countries through its services and repair company iServices. In fashion retail, the Group owns Salsa, a denim specialist present in around 50 countries.
In the pet care segment, Musti operates in seven geographies and is the market leader in the Nordic and Baltic countries.
Through Sierra, Sonae also operates globally in the real estate sector, developing and managing shopping centres and real estate projects, including in the office and residential segments. Sierra also has a partnership with Bankinter for the management of ORES, which invests in real estate assets in Iberia. Additionally, Sierra is part of the controlling group of ALLOS, the leading shopping centre operator in Latin America. In October, Sierra acquired the Real Estate Management division of Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, becoming the second-largest third-party shopping centre manager in Germany.
The Group also holds investments in technology companies through its subsidiary Bright Pixel, which invests in companies and start-ups with solutions for the retail, telecommunications and cybersecurity sectors.
Through its Sparkfood unit, Sonae also operates in the supply of natural extracts and active ingredients for human, pet and plant care.
, /PRNewswire/ -- Sonae (Euronext Lisbonne : SON), une multinationale basée au Portugal qui gère un portefeuille diversifié d'activités dans les secteurs de la vente au détail, de l'immobilier, des télécommunications, de la technologie et de l'innovation, a réalisé un chiffre d'affaires record de 11,4 milliards d'euros en 2025, en hausse de 14,2 % par rapport à l'année précédente. Cette performance reflète la franche poussée de ses activités de vente au détail et ses investissements dans des acquisitions lors des deux dernières années.
Grâce à la croissance du groupe, à d'importants gains d'efficacité opérationnelle et à des investissements dans l'expansion de son portefeuille mondial, l'excédent brut d'exploitation sous-jacent s'est établi à 1,1 milliard d'euros, soit une hausse de 23,6 % par rapport à 2024, l'excédent brut d'exploitation total a augmenté de 17,6 % pour atteindre 1,2 milliard d'euros, et le résultat net attribuable aux actionnaires a grimpé de 11 % pour se porter à 247 millions d'euros. Le cours de l'action de Sonae a enregistré une forte performance, augmentant de 76 % en 2025.
Cláudia Azevedo, directrice générale de Sonae, déclare : « Nous sommes confiants dans la robustesse de notre portefeuille, qui est bien positionné pour créer de la valeur à long terme. Notre portefeuille est équilibré tant sur le plan géographique que sectoriel : toutes nos entreprises détiennent des positions de marché pertinentes, affichent des propositions de valeur solides et bénéficient d'une exposition à des marchés portés par des vents structurels favorables. Nous envisageons l'avenir avec confiance et optimisme. »
Dans le secteur de la vente au détail, les marques du groupe Sonae, qui exploitent un réseau de plus de 2 500 magasins en propriété et ont ouvert 128 nouveaux magasins au cours de l'année écoulée, occupent des positions de premier plan dans leurs segments respectifs sur plusieurs marchés européens. Dans le secteur de la distribution alimentaire, MC est le leader du marché portugais grâce à la marque Continente, qui exploite des hypermarchés, des supermarchés et des magasins de proximité.
Dans le segment de la santé et de la beauté, le groupe domine le marché espagnol grâce à Druni et Arenal, une association à 50/50 entre MC et la famille Casp, ainsi que le marché portugais grâce à Wells. Dans le secteur de la vente au détail de produits électroniques, Sonae possède Worten, le chef de file du marché portugais, qui exerce aussi des activités en Espagne et dans plusieurs autres pays par l'intermédiaire de sa société de services et de réparation, iServices. Dans le secteur du commerce de détail d'articles de mode, le groupe détient Salsa, un spécialiste du denim présent dans une cinquantaine de pays.
Dans le segment des produits pour animaux de compagnie, le groupe Musti, présent dans sept zones géographiques, s'impose sur le marché des pays nordiques et baltes.
Via sa filiale Sierra, Sonae opère également au niveau mondial dans le secteur immobilier, en concevant et en gérant des centres commerciaux et des projets immobiliers, notamment dans les segments des bureaux et des logements. Sierra a par ailleurs conclu un partenariat avec Bankinter pour la gestion d'ORES, qui investit dans des actifs immobiliers dans la péninsule ibérique. Sierra fait aussi partie du groupe contrôlant ALLOS, le principal exploitant de centres commerciaux en Amérique latine. En octobre, Sierra a acquis la division de la gestion immobilière d'Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield pour devenir le deuxième gestionnaire de centres commerciaux tiers en Allemagne.
Le groupe détient en outre des investissements dans des entreprises technologiques par l'intermédiaire de sa filiale Bright Pixel, qui investit dans des entreprises et des jeunes pousses proposant des solutions pour les secteurs de la vente au détail, des télécommunications et de la cybersécurité.
Par le biais de l'unité Sparkfood, le groupe Sonae fournit enfin des extraits naturels et des ingrédients actifs destinés aux soins des humains, des animaux de compagnie et des plantes.
Pour en savoir plus, veuillez consulter le site www.sonae.pt.
This article highlights eight companies on track to achieve Dividend King status, requiring 50+ consecutive years of dividend increases. The companies featured are not expected to reach Dividend King status until at least 2032, but are progressing steadily. The series aims to spotlight recognizable businesses with strong dividend growth histories, supporting long-term income-focused investment strategies.
HARTSVILLE, S.C., June 01, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sonoco Products Company (NYSE: SON), one of the world’s largest sustainable packaging leaders, has released its 2025 Corporate Sustainability Report, marking considerable progress on long-term renewable energy projects and newly consolidated sustainable businesses.
In 2025, the Company completed its significant transformation and today has built award-winning, global market-leading franchises in both metal and paper packaging across industrial markets. Today, Sonoco ranks in the top one-third of companies across all industries for environment, ethics, labor and human rights, and sustainable procurement.
“Our benchmark for sustainable success is not just a target; we believe it is our duty and our promise to provide accurate, transparent reporting on what matters most,” said Howard Coker, Sonoco President and CEO. “Our annual Corporate Sustainability Report reflects that commitment.”
The report highlights Sonoco products and its customers who jointly received three honors at the 2025 Environmental Packaging Awards. Sonoco was also named one of America’s Climate Leaders by USA Today and again recognized as one of Americas Most Trustworthy and Responsible Companies by Newsweek.
In total, 17 energy efficiency and renewable energy projects across the globe last year reduced emissions by ~15,000 metric tons of CO₂e, such as solar panel installations, regenerative brake technology, and upgrading air compressor systems. These efforts support Sonoco’s pledge to reduce Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 25% by 2030 from the 2020 base year and Scope 3 by 13.5% from a 2019 baseline.
“Through targeted investments, operational efficiency and manufacturing innovation, we continue to make measurable progress against our sustainability goals,” said Scott Byrne, Sonoco Vice President of Global Sustainability and Industry Affairs. “As our business evolves with our future in focus, we’ll continue to advance initiatives that reduce environmental impact and support long-term value creation.”
Additional highlights included in the report involve recycling infrastructure and water stewardship initiatives across global operations. In 2025, the Company continued expanding recyclable paper-based packaging solutions, advancing material recovery efforts through its global recycling operations and through water reduction initiatives at paper mills, optimizing processes and investing in wastewater treatment improvements.
Download a copy of the 2025 Corporate Sustainability Report at https://www.sonoco.com/sustainability/reports.
About Sonoco
Founded in 1899, Sonoco (NYSE: SON) is a global leader in value-added, sustainable metal and paper consumer and industrial packaging. The Company had net sales of $7.5 billion from continuing operations in 2025 and has approximately 22,000 employees working in 265 operations in 37 countries, serving some of the world’s best-known brands. Guided by our purpose of Better Packaging. Better Life., we strive to foster a culture of innovation, collaboration and excellence to provide solutions that better serve all our stakeholders and support a more sustainable future. Sonoco was proudly named one of the World’s Most Admired Companies by Fortune in 2026 as well as one of America’s Most Admired and Responsible Companies by Fortune and Newsweek and by USA TODAY’s list of America’s Climate Leaders in 2025. For more information on the Company, visit our website at www.sonoco.com
Key Takeaways GEF raised its dividend 10.7%, with payments set for July 1, 2026, to shareholders of record as of June 17.GEF's adjusted free cash flow rose to $179.3M in Q2'26 from $86.6M a year earlier.Greif ended Q2 with $286.1M in cash, $1.01B in debt and aims to keep leverage below 2.0X. Greif, Inc. (GEF - Free Report) announced a 10.7% hike in its quarterly dividend payout. This is in sync with its long-standing commitment to returning capital to shareholders.
Details of GEF’s Quarterly Dividend HikeGreif will pay the new quarterly dividend of 62 cents on its Class A Common Stock and 93 cents per share on its Class B Common Stock on July 1, 2026, to shareholders of record as of June 17, 2026. The raised dividend takes the company’s dividend yield from the current 3.5% to 3.9%.
Greif has a three-year dividend growth rate of 3.8%. It has a payout ratio of 57.8%.
Greif’s industry peer Sonoco Products Company (SON - Free Report) has a quarterly dividend of 54 cents. Sonoco has a payout ratio of 37.1%. Sonoco’s current indicated annual dividend is one of the highest in the industry at $2.16.
GEF’s another peer AptarGroup, Inc. (ATR - Free Report) has a quarterly dividend of 48 cents. AptarGroup has a payout ratio of 33.5%. AptarGroup’s current indicated annual dividend is $1.92.
GEF’s Cash Position & Balance SheetAt the end of second-quarter fiscal 2026, the adjusted free cash flow improved to $179.3 million from $86.6 million, aided by working capital management and lower cash interest tied to the company’s reduced leverage. Greif ended the quarter with $286.1 million in cash and cash equivalents, and a total debt of $1.01 billion.
The increased dividend reflects the company’s strength in free cash flow generation and its balance sheet while investing in high-return organic growth opportunities. Greif remains committed to maintaining leverage below 2.0X.
Greif Stock’s Price PerformanceGEF shares have gained 17.7% in the past year against the industry's 12% decline.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
GEF’s Zacks Rank & Stock to ConsiderThe company currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
A better-ranked stock from the Industrial Products sector is Tennant Company (TNC - Free Report) . TNC sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Tennant has an average trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 40.8%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for TNC’s 2026 earnings is pinned at $5.15 per share. The company’s shares have gained 19.4% in a year.
HARTSVILLE, S.C., June 08, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sonoco Products Company (“Sonoco” or the “Company”) (NYSE: SON), a global leader in high-value sustainable paper products, today announced it is implementing a $60 per ton price increase for all grades of uncoated recycled paperboard (URB) in the United States and Canada, effective with shipments beginning July 8, 2026.
According to Taylor Lane, Vice President and General Manager, Industrial Paper Packaging, North America, “This necessary increase is driven by several factors, including robust demand across our markets and strong utilization in our paper mill network. Additionally, elevated inflationary pressures have significantly increased our operating costs. We remain committed to delivering reliable supply and high-quality products, and this increase helps ensure we can continue to support our customers’ business effectively.”
Sonoco also will increase prices for all converted paperboard products by 7%, effective with shipments on and after July 8, 2026. This includes paperboard tubes, cores, cones, partitions, protective packaging, and other specialty products.
About Sonoco
Founded in 1899, Sonoco (NYSE: SON) is a global leader in value-added, sustainable metal and paper consumer and industrial packaging. As a member of the Fortune 500, the Company had net sales of $7.5 billion from continuing operations in 2025 and has approximately 22,000 employees working in 265 operations in 37 countries, serving some of the world’s best-known brands. Guided by our purpose of Better Packaging. Better Life., we strive to foster a culture of innovation, collaboration and excellence to provide solutions that better serve all our stakeholders and support a more sustainable future. Sonoco was proudly named one of the World’s Most Admired Companies by Fortune in 2026 as well as one of America’s Most Admired and Responsible Companies by Fortune and Newsweek and by USA TODAY’s list of America’s Climate Leaders in 2025. For more information on the Company, visit our website at www.sonoco.com.
Contact Information:
Roger Schrum
Head of Investor Relations & Communications [email protected]
843-339-6018
HARTSVILLE, S.C., June 09, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sonoco Products Company (NYSE: SON), a global leader in high-value sustainable packaging, has returned to the FORTUNE 500 list, a ranking of the largest U.S. companies by revenue. Coming in at #489, Sonoco had sales of $7.8 billion in 2025. With 22,000 teammates, the Company serves customers across paper and metal packaging markets around the world.
“This is a proud moment for Sonoco and a testament to our operational strength and market leadership,” said Howard Coker, president and CEO. “Returning to the Fortune 500 reflects the hard work of our employees around the world and a focused strategy built on innovation and operational excellence. We are committed to delivering unmatched value for our customers and shareholders while advancing packaging solutions that help build a more sustainable future.”
Companies on the FORTUNE 500 list represent roughly two-thirds of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and employ more than 30 million people worldwide. Both public and private companies are eligible for the FORTUNE 500 designation.
In addition to Fortune 500 placement, Sonoco earned industry recognition in 2025–2026 from FORTUNE, Newsweek and USA TODAY for corporate responsibility and climate leadership.
For more information about Sonoco awards and accolades, visit sonoco.com/about/awards-accolades.
About Sonoco
Founded in 1899, Sonoco (NYSE: SON) is a global leader in value-added, sustainable metal and paper consumer and industrial packaging. The Company had net sales of $7.5 billion from continuing operations in 2025 and has approximately 22,000 employees working in 265 operations in 37 countries, serving some of the world’s best-known brands. Guided by our purpose of Better Packaging. Better Life., we strive to foster a culture of innovation, collaboration and excellence to provide solutions that better serve all our stakeholders and support a more sustainable future. Sonoco was proudly named one of the World’s Most Admired Companies by Fortune in 2026 as well as one of America’s Most Admired and Responsible Companies by Fortune and Newsweek and by USA TODAY’s list of America’s Climate Leaders in 2025. For more information on the Company, visit our website at www.sonoco.com.
On June 09, 2026, Sonoco Products Co (SON) shares rose 4.8% today, bringing the current price to $49.90. The stock is trading within a 52-week range of $38.65 t
Key Takeaways Greif will raise uncoated recycled paperboard prices by $60 per short ton on July 6, 2026.URB price hike reflects rising input and transportation costs and growing demand.Greif plans a minimum 6.5% increase for tube, core and protective packaging products on July 13, 2026. Greif, Inc. (GEF - Free Report) announced a price increase of $60 per short ton for all grades of uncoated recycled paperboard (URB) products, effective July 6, 2026. The price hike for URB products was driven by rising input and transportation costs, along with growing demand.
Greif will implement a minimum 6.5% price hike on all tube and core, as well as protective packaging products, effective July 13, 2026. The price increase is due to rising costs of the primary raw materials contained in those products. Higher transportation costs and increased demand across end markets have also aided the price hike for Greif.
GEF’s peer Sonoco Products Company (SON - Free Report) also implemented a $60-per-ton price increase for all grades of URB in the United States and Canada, effective July 8, 2026. The company also hiked prices for all converted paperboard products 7%. The price hike was driven by solid demand across Sonoco’s markets, strong utilization of its paper mill network and elevated inflationary pressures.
GEF’s Focus on Portfolio OptimizationGreif is optimizing and shaping its product portfolio to reduce the impacts of cyclical trends and focus on higher-margin offerings. The company’s four new reportable segments are now focused on specific material solutions.
GEF has set a target of delivering adjusted EBITDA of $1 billion by fiscal 2027. The company expects the low end of adjusted EBITDA to be $610 million for fiscal 2026, indicating an increase of 19% from the $511 million reported in fiscal 2025.
The company’s optimization Initiatives over the next three years are expected to eliminate $100 million in structural costs from the business through a combination of SG&A rationalization, network optimization and operating efficiency gains. The company has also set the goal of $500 million of free cash flow by fiscal 2027.
Greif’s Q2 PerformanceGreif posted adjusted earnings of $1.10 per Class A share in the second quarter of fiscal 2026, up 61.8% from a year ago. The figure missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.16 by 5.2%. Net sales were $1.07 billion, down 0.5% year over year but beating the consensus mark of $1.07 billion by 0.4%.
GEF Stock’s Price PerformanceGreif shares have gained 3.5% in the past year against the industry's 9.4% decline.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Greif’s Zacks Rank & Stock to ConsiderThe company currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
Some better-ranked stocks from the Industrial Products sector are Tennant Company (TNC - Free Report) and Helios Technologies Inc. (HLIO - Free Report) . TNC and HLIO sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Tennant has an average trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 40.8%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for TNC’s 2026 earnings is pinned at $5.15 per share. The company’s shares have gained 15.4% in a year.
Helios Technologies has an average trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 15.8%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for HLIO’s 2026 earnings is pinned at $2.89 per share. The company’s shares have skyrocketed 141.3% in a year.
Momentum investing is essentially the opposite of the tried-and-tested Wall Street adage -- "buy low and sell high." Investors following this investing style typically avoid betting on cheap stocks and waiting long for them to recover. They believe instead that one could make far more money in lesser time by "buying high and selling higher."
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It could be safer to invest in bargain stocks that have been witnessing price momentum recently. While the Zacks Momentum Style Score (part of the Zacks Style Scores system), which pays close attention to trends in a stock's price or earnings, is pretty useful in identifying great momentum stocks, our 'Fast-Paced Momentum at a Bargain' screen comes handy in spotting fast-moving stocks that are still attractively priced.
There are several stocks that currently pass through the screen and Encore Capital Group (ECPG - Free Report) is one of them. Here are the key reasons why this stock is a great candidate.
A dash of recent price momentum reflects growing interest of investors in a stock. With a four-week price change of 15%, the stock of this provider of debt-management and recovery services is certainly well-positioned in this regard.
While any stock can see a spike in price for a short period, it takes a real momentum player to deliver positive returns for a longer time frame. ECPG meets this criterion too, as the stock gained 40.3% over the past 12 weeks.
Moreover, the momentum for ECPG is fast paced, as the stock currently has a beta of 1.26. This indicates that the stock moves 26% higher than the market in either direction.
Given this price performance, it is no surprise that ECPG has a Momentum Score of B, which indicates that this is the right time to enter the stock to take advantage of the momentum with the highest probability of success.
In addition to a favorable Momentum Score, an upward trend in earnings estimate revisions has helped ECPG earn a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). Our research shows that the momentum-effect is quite strong among Zacks Rank #1 and #2 stocks. That's because as covering analysts raise their earnings estimates for a stock, more and more investors take an interest in it, helping its price race to keep up. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks here >>>>
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Private Trust Co. NA raised its stake in shares of Encore Capital Group Inc (NASDAQ:ECPG – Free Report) by 6,206.9% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 7,316 shares of the asset manager’s stock after purchasing an additional 7,200 shares during the period. Private Trust Co. NA’s holdings in Encore Capital Group were worth $398,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ECPG. Royal Bank of Canada grew its holdings in Encore Capital Group by 97.9% during the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 33,620 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $1,153,000 after purchasing an additional 16,634 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Encore Capital Group by 263.0% during the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 68,860 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $2,361,000 after purchasing an additional 49,892 shares during the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its holdings in Encore Capital Group by 4.6% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 13,929 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $477,000 after purchasing an additional 612 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC grew its holdings in Encore Capital Group by 2.0% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 90,910 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $3,116,000 after purchasing an additional 1,806 shares during the last quarter. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC grew its holdings in Encore Capital Group by 7.8% during the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 78,465 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $2,690,000 after purchasing an additional 5,672 shares during the last quarter.
Analysts Set New Price Targets ECPG has been the topic of several analyst reports. Citigroup reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Encore Capital Group in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Northland Securities set a $70.00 price target on Encore Capital Group in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Encore Capital Group from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 27th. Citizens Jmp raised their price objective on shares of Encore Capital Group from $75.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock a “market outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 26th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Encore Capital Group from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Encore Capital Group has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $75.50.
View Our Latest Research Report on ECPG
Insider Activity In other news, insider Ryan B. Bell sold 7,240 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $69.04, for a total value of $499,849.60. Following the sale, the insider owned 48,170 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,325,656.80. This trade represents a 13.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 2.54% of the company’s stock.
Encore Capital Group Stock Performance Shares of Encore Capital Group stock opened at $80.75 on Monday. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $67.86 and its 200-day simple moving average is $56.69. The company has a market cap of $1.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.37 and a beta of 1.26. The company has a current ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 0.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.10. Encore Capital Group Inc has a 1 year low of $29.69 and a 1 year high of $81.77.
Encore Capital Group (NASDAQ:ECPG – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 25th. The asset manager reported $3.37 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.20 by $1.17. The business had revenue of $473.55 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $423.14 million. Encore Capital Group had a net margin of 14.52% and a return on equity of 28.19%. Encore Capital Group’s quarterly revenue was up 78.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted ($9.42) earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Encore Capital Group Inc will post 5.09 EPS for the current year.
Encore Capital Group Company Profile (Free Report)
Encore Capital Group, Inc is a global specialty finance company that focuses on the purchase and management of nonperforming consumer receivables. Through its subsidiaries, the company acquires charged-off debt portfolios from credit card issuers, banks, and other financial institutions, and seeks to recover outstanding balances through a combination of customer outreach, payment arrangements, and, where appropriate, legal collection efforts. Encore’s business model emphasizes compliance with regulatory and industry standards to ensure ethical and transparent debt-recovery practices.
Headquartered in San Diego, California, Encore operates across North America and Europe.
Recommended Stories Five stocks we like better than Encore Capital Group Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ECPG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Encore Capital Group Inc (NASDAQ:ECPG – Free Report).
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Cwm LLC lifted its stake in Encore Capital Group Inc (NASDAQ:ECPG – Free Report) by 99.6% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 25,045 shares of the asset manager’s stock after acquiring an additional 12,499 shares during the quarter. Cwm LLC owned approximately 0.11% of Encore Capital Group worth $1,361,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of ECPG. Royal Bank of Canada increased its position in shares of Encore Capital Group by 97.9% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 33,620 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $1,153,000 after acquiring an additional 16,634 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Encore Capital Group by 263.0% during the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 68,860 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $2,361,000 after buying an additional 49,892 shares during the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its holdings in Encore Capital Group by 4.6% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 13,929 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $477,000 after buying an additional 612 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC increased its holdings in Encore Capital Group by 2.0% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 90,910 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $3,116,000 after buying an additional 1,806 shares during the last quarter. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its holdings in Encore Capital Group by 7.8% during the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 78,465 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $2,690,000 after buying an additional 5,672 shares during the last quarter.
Insiders Place Their Bets In other Encore Capital Group news, insider Ryan B. Bell sold 7,240 shares of Encore Capital Group stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $69.04, for a total value of $499,849.60. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 48,170 shares in the company, valued at $3,325,656.80. The trade was a 13.07% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 2.63% of the stock is owned by company insiders.
Encore Capital Group Price Performance NASDAQ:ECPG opened at $83.73 on Monday. Encore Capital Group Inc has a one year low of $32.27 and a one year high of $85.42. The company has a market cap of $1.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.64 and a beta of 1.26. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $70.40 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $58.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.10, a current ratio of 0.68 and a quick ratio of 0.68.
Encore Capital Group (NASDAQ:ECPG – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The asset manager reported $3.37 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.20 by $1.17. Encore Capital Group had a return on equity of 28.19% and a net margin of 14.52%.The company had revenue of $473.55 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $423.14 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned ($9.42) earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 78.3% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts expect that Encore Capital Group Inc will post 11.97 earnings per share for the current year.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of brokerages recently weighed in on ECPG. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Encore Capital Group from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, April 18th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Encore Capital Group from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 27th. Truist Financial set a $100.00 price target on Encore Capital Group in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Citigroup reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Encore Capital Group in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised Encore Capital Group from a “sell (d-)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Friday, February 27th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Encore Capital Group presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $80.50.
Check Out Our Latest Report on ECPG
Encore Capital Group Company Profile (Free Report)
Encore Capital Group, Inc is a global specialty finance company that focuses on the purchase and management of nonperforming consumer receivables. Through its subsidiaries, the company acquires charged-off debt portfolios from credit card issuers, banks, and other financial institutions, and seeks to recover outstanding balances through a combination of customer outreach, payment arrangements, and, where appropriate, legal collection efforts. Encore’s business model emphasizes compliance with regulatory and industry standards to ensure ethical and transparent debt-recovery practices.
Headquartered in San Diego, California, Encore operates across North America and Europe.
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Favorable purchasing conditions continue in U.S. marketGlobal portfolio purchases of $363 million, including $316 million in U.S.Global collections up 19% to record $718 million Earnings per share of $3.86 SAN DIEGO, May 06, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Encore Capital Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: ECPG), an international specialty finance company, today reported consolidated financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2026.
“Encore delivered another quarter of strong performance in Q1 as our industry leadership and operational improvement remain on full display,” said Ashish Masih, President and Chief Executive Officer. “Our business continues to thrive with solid first quarter portfolio purchases of $363 million and record collections of $718 million, which were up 19% compared to a year ago. This collections performance helped earnings increase sharply, with first quarter earnings per share of $3.86 up 100% compared to $1.93 per share a year ago.”
“Our MCM business in the U.S. continues to deliver very strong results. Capitalizing on the ongoing attractive market opportunity in the U.S. driven by ample portfolio supply, MCM portfolio purchases in the first quarter were $316 million, one of our strongest portfolio purchasing quarters ever. MCM also delivered record collections of $556 million in the first quarter, up 23% compared to Q1 a year ago. This exceptional collections performance is the result of strong execution and continued significant portfolio purchasing as well as the deployment of new technologies, enhanced digital capabilities and continued operational innovation.”
“Our Cabot business in Europe delivered a solid first quarter. Portfolio purchases of $47 million were consistent with Cabot’s recent historical trend while collections of $161 million were up 7% compared to the first quarter last year.”
“As a result of our strong start to the year, we are raising our global collections guidance and now expect our full-year 2026 collections to be approximately $2.8 billion, reflecting year-over-year growth of 8%. Additionally, we are raising our earnings guidance and now expect our earnings per share in 2026 to increase 19% to $13.00. Our guidance for portfolio purchasing remains unchanged from our view in February as we continue to anticipate our global portfolio purchases this year to be within a range from $1.4 billion to $1.5 billion. As always, we remain committed to the critical role we play in the consumer credit ecosystem and to helping consumers restore their financial health,” said Masih.
In the first quarter, the company repurchased $20 million of its shares of common stock.
Financial Highlights for the First Quarter of 2026:
Three Months Ended March 31,(in thousands, except percentages and earnings per share)2026
2025
ChangePortfolio purchases(1)$362,841 $367,851 (1)%Average receivable portfolios(2)$4,404,473 $3,864,450 14%Estimated Remaining Collections (ERC)$9,825,266 $8,862,661 11%Collections$718,414 $604,807 19%Revenues$475,411 $392,775 21%Operating expenses$291,419 $263,432 11%Net income$86,243 $46,796 84%Earnings per share$3.86 $1.93 100% ______________________
(1) Includes U.S. purchases of $315.8 million and $316.4 million, and Europe purchases of $47.0 million and $51.5 million in Q1 2026 and Q1 2025, respectively.
(2) Represents the average of receivable portfolios for the quarter (sum of receivable portfolios at the beginning and end of the quarter divided by 2).
Conference Call and Webcast
Encore will host a conference call and slide presentation today, May 6, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. Pacific / 5:00 p.m. Eastern time, to present and discuss first quarter results.
Members of the public are invited to access the live webcast via the Internet by logging in on the Investor Relations page of Encore's website at encorecapital.com. To access the live conference call by telephone, please pre-register using this link. Registrants will receive confirmation with dial-in details.
For those who cannot listen to the live broadcast, a replay of the webcast will be available on the Company's website shortly after the call concludes.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
This news release includes certain financial measures that exclude the impact of certain items and therefore have not been calculated in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). The Company has included information concerning adjusted EBITDA because management utilizes this information in the evaluation of its operations and believes that this measure is a useful indicator of the Company’s ability to generate cash collections in excess of operating expenses through the liquidation of its receivable portfolios. Adjusted EBITDA has not been prepared in accordance with GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to, or more meaningful than, net income and net income per share as indicators of the Company’s operating performance. Further, this non-GAAP financial measure, as presented by the Company, may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies. A reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to its most directly comparable GAAP financial measure is below.
About Encore Capital Group, Inc.
Encore Capital Group is an international specialty finance company that provides debt recovery solutions and other related services for consumers across a broad range of financial assets. Through its subsidiaries around the globe, Encore purchases portfolios of consumer receivables from major banks, credit unions, and utility providers.
Encore partners with individuals as they repay their debt obligations, helping them on the road to financial recovery and ultimately improving their economic well-being. Encore is the first and only company of its kind to operate with a Consumer Bill of Rights that provides industry-leading commitments to consumers. Headquartered in San Diego, Encore is a publicly traded NASDAQ Global Select company (ticker symbol: ECPG) and a component stock of the Russell 2000, the S&P Small Cap 600 and the Wilshire 4500. More information about the company can be found at http://www.encorecapital.com.
Forward Looking Statements
The statements in this press release that are not historical facts, including, most importantly, those statements preceded by, or that include, the words “will,” “may,” “believe,” “projects,” “expects,” “anticipates” or the negation thereof, or similar expressions, constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the “Reform Act”). These statements may include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our future operating results (including purchases and collections), performance, supply and pricing, liquidity, business plans or prospects. For all “forward-looking statements,” the Company claims the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Reform Act. Such forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results, performance or achievements of the Company and its subsidiaries to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and other factors are discussed in the reports filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the most recent report on Form 10-K, as it may be amended from time to time. The Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.
Contact:
Bruce Thomas
Encore Capital Group, Inc.
Vice President, Global Investor Relations [email protected]
SOURCE: Encore Capital Group, Inc.
FINANCIAL TABLES FOLLOW
ENCORE CAPITAL GROUP, INC.
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition
(In Thousands, Except Par Value Amounts)
(Unaudited)
March 31,
2026 December 31,
2025Assets Cash and cash equivalents$227,204 $156,784 Receivable portfolios, net 4,437,415 4,371,532 Property and equipment, net 79,292 82,080 Other assets 177,163 193,113 Goodwill 529,487 536,291 Total assets$5,450,561 $5,339,800 Liabilities and Equity Liabilities: Accounts payable and accrued liabilities$252,277 $230,261 Borrowings 4,033,301 4,001,293 Other liabilities 130,175 131,496 Total liabilities 4,415,753 4,363,050 Commitments and Contingencies Equity: Convertible preferred stock, $0.01 par value, 5,000 shares authorized, no shares issued and outstanding — — Common stock, $0.01 par value, 75,000 shares authorized, 21,499 and 21,688 shares issued and outstanding as of March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, respectively 215 217 Additional paid-in capital — — Accumulated earnings 1,167,038 1,104,640 Accumulated other comprehensive loss (132,445) (128,107)Total stockholders’ equity 1,034,808 976,750 Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity$5,450,561 $5,339,800 The following table presents certain assets and liabilities of consolidated variable interest entities (“VIEs”) included in the condensed consolidated statements of financial condition above. Most assets in the table below include those assets that can only be used to settle obligations of consolidated VIEs. The liabilities exclude amounts where creditors or beneficial interest holders have recourse to the general credit of the Company.
March 31,
2026 December 31,
2025Assets Cash and cash equivalents$50,115 $40,256Receivable portfolios, net 1,177,046 1,151,221Other assets 4,392 3,540Liabilities Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 2,986 3,101Borrowings 783,444 791,182Other liabilities 1,352 2,774 ENCORE CAPITAL GROUP, INC.
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income
(In Thousands, Except Per Share Amounts)
(Unaudited)
Three Months Ended
March 31, 2026 2025 Revenues Portfolio revenue$390,019 $345,218 Changes in recoveries 62,740 21,464 Total debt purchasing revenue 452,759 366,682 Servicing revenue 20,638 22,547 Other revenues 2,014 3,546 Total revenues 475,411 392,775 Operating expenses Salaries and employee benefits 114,541 105,932 Cost of legal collections 89,221 68,013 General and administrative expenses 39,629 41,018 Other operating expenses 34,833 34,252 Collection agency commissions 6,337 6,873 Depreciation and amortization 6,858 7,344 Total operating expenses 291,419 263,432 Income from operations 183,992 129,343 Other expense Interest expense (73,050) (70,530)Other income 790 1,647 Total other expense (72,260) (68,883)Income before income taxes 111,732 60,460 Provision for income taxes (25,489) (13,664)Net income$86,243 $46,796 Earnings per share: Basic$3.97 $1.96 Diluted$3.86 $1.93 Weighted average shares outstanding: Basic 21,728 23,879 Diluted 22,320 24,269 ENCORE CAPITAL GROUP, INC.
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
(Unaudited, In Thousands) Three Months Ended March 31, 2026 2025 Operating activities: Net income$86,243 $46,796 Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities: Depreciation and amortization 6,858 7,344 Other non-cash interest expense, net 2,537 3,544 Stock-based compensation expense 4,575 3,424 Changes in recoveries (62,740) (21,464)Other, net 4,681 1,737 Changes in operating assets and liabilities Other assets 4,892 (3,499)Accounts payable, accrued liabilities and other liabilities 35,280 7,401 Net cash provided by operating activities 82,326 45,283 Investing activities: Purchases of receivable portfolios, net of put-backs (359,463) (362,712)Collections applied to receivable portfolios 328,395 259,589 Purchases of property and equipment (4,856) (6,990)Other, net 8,517 9,835 Net cash used in investing activities (27,407) (100,278)Financing activities: Payment of loan and debt refinancing costs (1,109) (255)Proceeds from credit facilities 358,021 246,426 Repayment of credit facilities (304,185) (185,831)Repurchase and retirement of common stock (20,092) (10,004)Other, net (14,026) (9,999)Net cash provided by financing activities 18,609 40,337 Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents 73,528 (14,658)Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents (3,108) 1,910 Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period 156,784 199,865 Cash and cash equivalents, end of period$227,204 $187,117 Supplemental disclosures of cash flow information: Cash paid for interest$37,343 $41,303 Cash paid for income taxes, net of refunds 860 1,247 Supplemental schedule of non-cash investing activities: Receivable portfolios transferred to real estate owned$1,020 $1,040 ENCORE CAPITAL GROUP, INC.
Supplemental Financial Information
Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Metrics Adjusted EBITDA Three Months Ended
March 31,(in thousands, unaudited) 2026 2025 GAAP net income, as reported$86,243 $46,796 Adjustments: Interest expense 73,050 70,530 Interest income (1,094) (1,546)Provision for income taxes 25,489 13,664 Depreciation and amortization 6,858 7,344 Stock-based compensation expense 4,575 3,424 Acquisition, integration and restructuring related expenses(1) 1,465 248 Adjusted EBITDA$196,586 $140,460 Collections applied to principal balance(2)$269,469 $244,300 ________________________
(1) Amount represents acquisition, integration and restructuring related expenses. We adjust for this amount because we believe these expenses are not indicative of ongoing operations; therefore, adjusting for these expenses enhances comparability to prior periods, anticipated future periods, and our competitors’ results.
(2) Amount represents (a) gross collections from receivable portfolios less (b) debt purchasing revenue, plus (c) proceeds applied to basis from sales of real estate owned (“REO”) assets and, when applicable, other receivable portfolios. A reconciliation of “collections applied to receivable portfolios, net” to “collections applied to principal balance” is available in the Form 10-Q for the period ending March 31, 2026.
Encore Capital Group (ECPG - Free Report) came out with quarterly earnings of $3.86 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.26 per share. This compares to earnings of $1.93 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.
This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +18.59%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this provider of debt-management and recovery services would post earnings of $2.2 per share when it actually produced earnings of $3.37, delivering a surprise of +53.18%.
Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates four times.
Encore Capital Group, which belongs to the Zacks Financial - Consumer Loans industry, posted revenues of $475.41 million for the quarter ended March 2026, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 5.25%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $392.77 million. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates four times over the last four quarters.
The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call.
Encore Capital Group shares have added about 55.3% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 6%.
What's Next for Encore Capital Group?While Encore Capital Group has outperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock?
There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately.
Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions.
Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Encore Capital Group was mixed. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to perform in line with the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and the current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $3.04 on $456.66 million in revenues for the coming quarter and $11.97 on $1.82 billion in revenues for the current fiscal year.
Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Financial - Consumer Loans is currently in the top 11% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.
Another stock from the same industry, Open Lending (LPRO - Free Report) , has yet to report results for the quarter ended March 2026. The results are expected to be released on May 7.
This company is expected to post quarterly earnings of $0.01 per share in its upcoming report, which represents no change from the year-ago quarter. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has remained unchanged over the last 30 days.
Open Lending's revenues are expected to be $20.3 million, down 16.8% from the year-ago quarter.
Momentum investors typically don't time the market or "buy low and sell high." In other words, they avoid betting on cheap stocks and waiting long for them to recover. Instead, they believe that "buying high and selling higher" is the way to make far more money in lesser time.
Who doesn't like betting on fast-moving trending stocks? But determining the right entry point isn't easy. Often, these stocks lose momentum once their valuation moves ahead of their future growth potential. In such a situation, investors find themselves loaded up on expensive shares with limited to no upside or even a downside. So, going all-in on momentum could be risky at times.
A safer approach could be investing in bargain stocks with recent price momentum. While the Zacks Momentum Style Score (part of the Zacks Style Scores system) helps identify great momentum stocks by paying close attention to trends in a stock's price or earnings, our 'Fast-Paced Momentum at a Bargain' screen comes handy in spotting fast-moving stocks that are still attractively priced.
Encore Capital Group (ECPG - Free Report) is one of the several great candidates that made it through the screen. While there are numerous reasons why this stock is a great choice, here are the most vital ones:
Investors' growing interest in a stock is reflected in its recent price increase. A price change of 7.7% over the past four weeks positions the stock of this provider of debt-management and recovery services well in this regard.
While any stock can see a spike in price for a short period, it takes a real momentum player to deliver positive returns for a longer time frame. ECPG meets this criterion too, as the stock gained 43.8% over the past 12 weeks.
Moreover, the momentum for ECPG is fast paced, as the stock currently has a beta of 1.33. This indicates that the stock moves 33% higher than the market in either direction.
Given this price performance, it is no surprise that ECPG has a Momentum Score of A, which indicates that this is the right time to enter the stock to take advantage of the momentum with the highest probability of success.
In addition to a favorable Momentum Score, an upward trend in earnings estimate revisions has helped ECPG earn a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). Our research shows that the momentum-effect is quite strong among Zacks Rank #1 and #2 stocks. That's because as covering analysts raise their earnings estimates for a stock, more and more investors take an interest in it, helping its price race to keep up. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks here >>>>
Most importantly, despite possessing fast-paced momentum features, ECPG is trading at a reasonable valuation. In terms of Price-to-Sales ratio, which is considered as one of the best valuation metrics, the stock looks quite cheap now. ECPG is currently trading at 0.95 times its sales. In other words, investors need to pay only 95 cents for each dollar of sales.
So, ECPG appears to have plenty of room to run, and that too at a fast pace.
In addition to ECPG, there are several other stocks that currently pass through our 'Fast-Paced Momentum at a Bargain' screen. You may consider investing in them and start looking for the newest stocks that fit these criteria.
This is not the only screen that could help you find your next winning stock pick. Based on your personal investing style, you may choose from over 45 Zacks Premium Screens that are strategically created to beat the market.
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The proven Zacks Rank system focuses on earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find winning stocks. Nevertheless, we know that our readers all have their own perspectives, so we are always looking at the latest trends in value, growth, and momentum to find strong picks.
Looking at the history of these trends, perhaps none is more beloved than value investing. This strategy simply looks to identify companies that are being undervalued by the broader market. Value investors use a variety of methods, including tried-and-true valuation metrics, to find these stocks.
On top of the Zacks Rank, investors can also look at our innovative Style Scores system to find stocks with specific traits. For example, value investors will want to focus on the "Value" category. Stocks with high Zacks Ranks and "A" grades for Value will be some of the highest-quality value stocks on the market today.
One company to watch right now is Encore Capital Group (ECPG - Free Report) . ECPG is currently holding a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) and a Value grade of A. The stock is trading with a P/E ratio of 5.46, which compares to its industry's average of 8.02. Over the last 12 months, ECPG's Forward P/E has been as high as 9.37 and as low as 4.14, with a median of 5.49.
Value investors also frequently use the P/S ratio. This metric is found by dividing a stock's price with the company's revenue. This is a preferred metric because revenue can't really be manipulated, so sales are often a truer performance indicator. ECPG has a P/S ratio of 0.95. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 1.37.
These are only a few of the key metrics included in Encore Capital Group's strong Value grade, but they help show that the stock is likely undervalued right now. When factoring in the strength of its earnings outlook, ECPG looks like an impressive value stock at the moment.
Here are three stocks with buy rank and strong value characteristics for investors to consider today, May 11:
BP p.l.c. (BP - Free Report) : This company that engages in the energy business worldwide carries a Zacks Rank #1, and has witnessed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing 103.5% over the last 60 days.
BP has a price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) of 8.19, compared with 12.10 for the industry. The company possesses a Value Score of A.
TriNet Group, Inc. (TNET - Free Report) : This human capital management services company carries a Zacks Rank #1, and has witnessed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing 10.1% over the last 60 days.
TriNet has a price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) of 9.30, compared with 23.66 for the S&P 500. The company possesses a Value Score of A.
Encore Capital Group, Inc. (ECPG - Free Report) : This specialty finance company providing debt recovery solutions carries a Zacks Rank #1, and has witnessed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing 7.4% over the last 60 days.
Encore Capital has a price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) of 6.45, compared with 11.70 for the industry. The company possesses a Value Score of B.
You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Learn more about the Value score and how it is calculated here.
May 11, 2026 07:17 ET | Source: Encore Capital Group, Inc.
SAN DIEGO, May 11, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Encore Capital Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: ECPG) (the “Company”) today announced its intention to offer, subject to market and other conditions, $550.0 million aggregate principal amount of senior secured notes due 2032 (the “notes”) in a private offering to qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and outside the United States to non-U.S. persons (within the meaning of Regulation S under the Securities Act).
The notes will be senior secured obligations of the Company, and will be fully and unconditionally guaranteed on a senior secured basis by substantially all material subsidiaries of the Company. The obligations of the Company and the guarantors will be secured, together with the Company’s other senior secured indebtedness, by substantially all of the assets of the Company and the guarantors. The interest rate and other terms of the notes will be determined at the pricing of the offering.
The Company intends to use the proceeds from this offering, together with drawings under its revolving credit facility, to (a) redeem its outstanding $500.0 million of 9.250% senior secured notes due 2029 in full, including payment of the premium due as part of the redemption price and estimated accrued interest payable on the redemption date, (b) redeem €200.0 million of its €415.0 million outstanding senior secured floating rate notes due 2028, including payment of estimated accrued interest payable on the redemption date and (c) pay estimated fees, expenses and the initial purchasers’ discounts for the offering.
Depending on the capital markets, the Company continuously considers additional financings, including offerings of additional senior secured notes in different currencies and with fixed or floating interest rates, to fund its operations and to refinance existing debt obligations.
The offer and sale of the notes have not been, and will not be, registered under the Securities Act, and the notes may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration requirements. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, the notes nor will there be any sale of the notes in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, sale or solicitation would be unlawful. Any offer of the securities will be made only by means of a private offering memorandum.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the completion, timing and size of the proposed offering, the intended use of the proceeds, and the terms of the notes being offered. Forward-looking statements represent Encore’s current expectations regarding future events and are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those implied by the forward-looking statements. Among those risks and uncertainties are market conditions, including market interest rates, the trading price and volatility of Encore’s common stock and risks relating to Encore’s business, including those described in periodic reports that Encore files from time to time with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Encore may not consummate the proposed offering described in this press release and, if the proposed offering is consummated, cannot provide any assurances regarding the final terms of the notes or its ability to effectively apply the net proceeds as described above. The forward-looking statements included in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release, and Encore does not undertake to update the statements included in this press release for subsequent developments, except as may be required by law.
Momentum investing revolves around the idea of following a stock's recent trend in either direction. In "long context," investors will be essentially be "buying high, but hoping to sell even higher." With this methodology, taking advantage of trends in a stock's price is key; once a stock establishes a course, it is more than likely to continue moving that way. The goal is that once a stock heads down a fixed path, it will lead to timely and profitable trades.
Even though momentum is a popular stock characteristic, it can be tough to define. Debate surrounding which are the best and worst metrics to focus on is lengthy, but the Zacks Momentum Style Score, part of the Zacks Style Scores, helps address this issue for us.
Below, we take a look at Encore Capital Group (ECPG - Free Report) , which currently has a Momentum Style Score of B. We also discuss some of the main drivers of the Momentum Style Score, like price change and earnings estimate revisions.
It's also important to note that Style Scores work as a complement to the Zacks Rank, our stock rating system that has an impressive track record of outperformance. Encore Capital Group currently has a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy). Our research shows that stocks rated Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and #2 (Buy) and Style Scores of "A or B" outperform the market over the following one-month period.
You can see the current list of Zacks #1 Rank Stocks here >>>
Set to Beat the Market? In order to see if ECPG is a promising momentum pick, let's examine some Momentum Style elements to see if this provider of debt-management and recovery services holds up.
Looking at a stock's short-term price activity is a great way to gauge if it has momentum, since this can reflect both the current interest in a stock and if buyers or sellers have the upper hand at the moment. It's also helpful to compare a security to its industry; this can show investors the best companies in a particular area.
For ECPG, shares are up 0.7% over the past week while the Zacks Financial - Consumer Loans industry is down 0.44% over the same time period. Shares are looking quite well from a longer time frame too, as the monthly price change of 11.2% compares favorably with the industry's 2.63% performance as well.
While any stock can see a spike in price, it takes a real winner to consistently outperform the market. Shares of Encore Capital Group have increased 45.95% over the past quarter, and have gained 107.06% in the last year. On the other hand, the S&P 500 has only moved 7.06% and 32.03%, respectively.
Investors should also pay attention to ECPG's average 20-day trading volume. Volume is a useful item in many ways, and the 20-day average establishes a good price-to-volume baseline; a rising stock with above average volume is generally a bullish sign, whereas a declining stock on above average volume is typically bearish. ECPG is currently averaging 366,098 shares for the last 20 days.
Earnings OutlookThe Zacks Momentum Style Score also takes into account trends in estimate revisions, in addition to price changes. Please note that estimate revision trends remain at the core of Zacks Rank as well. A nice path here can help show promise, and we have recently been seeing that with ECPG.
Over the past two months, 2 earnings estimates moved higher compared to none lower for the full year. These revisions helped boost ECPG's consensus estimate, increasing from $12.11 to $13.01 in the past 60 days. Looking at the next fiscal year, 2 estimates have moved upwards while there have been no downward revisions in the same time period.
Bottom LineTaking into account all of these elements, it should come as no surprise that ECPG is a #1 (Strong Buy) stock with a Momentum Score of B. If you've been searching for a fresh pick that's set to rise in the near-term, make sure to keep Encore Capital Group on your short list.
May 11, 2026 18:54 ET | Source: Encore Capital Group, Inc.
SAN DIEGO, May 11, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Encore Capital Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: ECPG) (the “Company”) today announced the pricing of its offering of $750.0 million aggregate principal amount of 6.625% senior secured notes due 2032 (the “notes”), which was upsized to $750.0 million from $550.0 million, at an issue price of 100.00% in a private offering to qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and outside the United States to non-U.S. persons (within the meaning of Regulation S under the Securities Act).
The notes will be senior secured obligations of the Company, and will be fully and unconditionally guaranteed on a senior secured basis by substantially all material subsidiaries of the Company. The obligations of the Company and the guarantors will be secured, together with the Company’s other senior secured indebtedness, by substantially all of the assets of the Company and the guarantors. The notes will accrue interest at a rate of 6.625% per annum, payable semi-annually in arrears on June 1 and December 1 of each year, beginning on December 1, 2026. The notes will mature on June 1, 2032 unless earlier repurchased or redeemed by the Company.
The Company intends to use the proceeds from this offering, together with drawings under its revolving credit facility, to (a) redeem its outstanding $500.0 million of 9.250% senior secured notes due 2029 in full, including payment of the premium due as part of the redemption price and estimated accrued interest payable on the redemption date, (b) redeem €200.0 million of its €415.0 million outstanding senior secured floating rate notes due 2028, including payment of estimated accrued interest payable on the redemption date and (c) pay estimated fees, expenses and the initial purchasers’ discounts for the offering. The offering and the use of proceeds therefrom does not change the guidance for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2026 that the Company provided on May 6, 2026.
Depending on the capital markets, the Company continuously considers additional financings, including offerings of additional senior secured notes in different currencies and with fixed or floating interest rates, to fund its operations and to refinance existing debt obligations.
The offer and sale of the notes have not been, and will not be, registered under the Securities Act, and the notes may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration requirements. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, the notes nor will there be any sale of the notes in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, sale or solicitation would be unlawful. Any offer of the securities will be made only by means of a private offering memorandum.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the completion, timing and size of the proposed offering, the intended use of the proceeds and the terms of the notes being offered. Forward-looking statements represent Encore’s current expectations regarding future events and are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those implied by the forward-looking statements. Among those risks and uncertainties are market conditions, including market interest rates, the trading price and volatility of Encore’s common stock and risks relating to Encore’s business, including those described in periodic reports that Encore files from time to time with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Encore may not consummate the proposed offering described in this press release and, if the proposed offering is consummated, cannot provide any assurances regarding the final terms of the notes or its ability to effectively apply the net proceeds as described above. The forward-looking statements included in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release, and Encore does not undertake to update the statements included in this press release for subsequent developments, except as may be required by law.
