Ball Reports Strong Third Quarter 2026 Results
Q3 comparable EPS $1.10 vs $1.03 (+6.8%), comparable op earnings $451M; GAAP loss $0.36/sh; 2026 comparable EPS growth guided 10%+.
What this release says
Ball reported a U.S. GAAP net loss for the third quarter of 2026 of $94 million, or 36 cents per diluted share, compared with earnings of $1.18 a share a year earlier. On a comparable basis, which the company uses to track operations, earnings rose to $1.10 a share from $1.03, and it expects comparable diluted EPS growth of 10-plus percent for 2026. For a shareholder, the gap between the GAAP loss and the comparable profit is the key point to weigh.
Key figures
- Q3 2026 GAAP net loss
- $94 million
- Q3 2026 GAAP diluted loss per share
- 36 cents
- Q3 2026 comparable diluted EPS
- $1.10
- Q3 2026 comparable operating earnings
- $451 million
- Shareholder returns, first nine months 2026
- $431 million
- Q3 2026 sales
- $4.19 billion
Positive for shareholders
- Comparable diluted EPS rose 6.8% year over year to $1.10.
- Global aluminum packaging shipments increased 4.7% in the third quarter.
- Ball is on track to return at least $800 million to shareholders through buybacks and dividends by year-end.
- Ball expects free cash flow in the range of $900 million for 2026.
Negative for shareholders
- The company swung to a U.S. GAAP net loss from a profit in the year-earlier quarter.
- Ball is investing in new can manufacturing plants in Germany and India, which requires capital.
Written by Quantisnow AI from this release. Not financial advice.
Key terms
- Comparable earnings:
- Ball's own adjusted profit measure, which excludes certain non-recurring or non-comparable items from U.S. GAAP results.
- Anti-dilutive:
- Describes securities that would increase the share count and lower per-share results, so they are left out when a loss is reported.
- EVA:
- Economic value added, a measure of profit after subtracting the cost of the capital used to generate it.
- Leverage (Net Debt to Comparable EBITDA):
- A credit measure comparing net debt to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization.
FAQ
Why did Ball report a GAAP loss when comparable earnings rose?
The release reports a U.S. GAAP net loss of $94 million, while comparable net earnings were $293 million, and it does not itemize the reconciling items between the two.
What does Ball expect for 2026?
Ball expects comparable diluted earnings per share growth of 10-plus percent and free cash flow in the range of $900 million for 2026.
How much is Ball returning to shareholders?
Ball returned $431 million through buybacks and dividends in the first nine months of 2026 and is on track to return at least $800 million by year-end.
Historical context for BALL
Across the 29 sessions after earlier BALL headlines, the stock closed higher 15 times and lower 14 times, with a median move of 1.2% in either direction. This shows timing only: many things move a stock in a session, and these figures do not show that any headline caused a move.
| Session | Earlier headline | BALL | SPY |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 30, 2026 | Ball Corporation to Present at Baird's 2026 Global Industrial Conference | +3.1% | -1.8% |
| Oct 28, 2026 | Board Declares Quarterly Dividend | -1.3% | +0.3% |
| Oct 20, 2026 | Ball Corporation Names New Presidents of Beverage Packaging North and Central America and EMEA | +0.5% | +0.3% |
| Oct 7, 2026 | Ball to Announce Third Quarter Earnings on November 3, 2026 | +0.1% | -0.2% |
| Sep 18, 2026 | Ball Corp upgraded by Analyst with a new price target | -1.0% | -0.1% |
| Sep 11, 2026 | Ball Announces Investment in New Manufacturing Facility in Uttar Pradesh, India | +0.3% | +0.9% |
- Market cap
- 30-day
- Sector
- Industrials
- Industry
- Containers/Packaging
Follow BALL and get a push notification the moment its next story breaks.