Sonoco Products Co Upgraded to Buy with $60 Price Target by Analyst
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Jan 06 2026
0mins
Source: Benzinga
- Dividend Appeal: Sonoco Products Co boasts a 4.65% dividend yield, attracting investors seeking stable returns during market turbulence, which highlights the company's strong free cash flow and commitment to shareholder rewards.
- Rating Upgrade: Analyst George Staphos from B of A Securities upgraded Sonoco from Neutral to Buy on January 5, 2026, raising the price target from $56 to $60, reflecting confidence in the company's future performance.
- Market Reaction: Following the analyst upgrade, Sonoco's stock price showed an upward trend, indicating market recognition of its growth potential, which may attract more investor interest.
- Recent Transaction: On November 3, Sonoco completed the sale of its ThermoSafe unit, further optimizing its asset portfolio, which is expected to enhance the company's financial flexibility and competitive position in the market.
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Analyst Views on SON
Wall Street analysts forecast SON stock price to fall
9 Analyst Rating
4 Buy
5 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 57.410
Low
47.00
Averages
52.71
High
60.00
Current: 57.410
Low
47.00
Averages
52.71
High
60.00
About SON
Sonoco Products Company 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 and Industrial Paper Packaging. Products within the Consumer Packaging segment consist of rigid packaging (paper, metal, and plastic), primarily serving the consumer staples market focused on food, beverage, household, personal, and pharmaceutical products. Its rigid paper containers are manufactured from 100% recycled paperboard provided primarily from Sonoco 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; and uncoated recycled paperboard for high-end applications, such as folding cartons, can board, and laminated structures.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
Sonoco Products to Announce Q1 Earnings on April 21
- Earnings Announcement Date: Sonoco Products (SON) is set to release its Q1 2023 earnings on April 21 after market close, with consensus EPS estimate at $1.20, reflecting a 13% year-over-year decline.
- Performance Expectations: Despite the decline in EPS expectations, revenue is projected to remain flat at $1.71 billion, indicating a cautious market outlook on Sonoco's growth prospects, especially given its historical performance of beating EPS estimates only 50% of the time and revenue estimates 25% of the time over the past two years.
- Estimate Revision Dynamics: Over the last three months, EPS estimates have seen one upward revision and six downward adjustments, while revenue estimates have experienced three upward and three downward revisions, suggesting a divergence in analyst sentiment that could impact investor confidence.
- Historical Performance Review: In its recent Q4 report, Sonoco delivered a solid performance with a non-GAAP EPS of $1.05, beating expectations by $0.05, and revenue of $1.77 billion, exceeding estimates by $10 million, showcasing its ability to expand margins in the consumer packaging sector.
See More
Truist Lowers Sonoco Price Target to $68 Amid Market Conditions
- Price Target Adjustment: Truist has lowered Sonoco's price target from $69 to $68 while maintaining a Buy rating, reflecting adjustments in expectations for the packaging and paper products sector's Q1 performance.
- Market Condition Impact: The analyst highlights that rising energy and freight costs, along with insights from recent management check-ins and industry conference comments, have prompted updates to Sonoco's estimates.
- Competitor Dynamics: UBS and BofA have also reduced their price targets for Sonoco to $59 and $67 respectively, indicating a cautious market sentiment regarding the company's future performance, which may affect investor confidence.
- Financing and Pricing Strategy: Sonoco recently secured a new $300 million term loan and implemented a $70 per ton price increase for uncoated recycled paperboard, aimed at alleviating cost pressures and enhancing financial stability.
See More
Sonoco to Raise Prices for Paperboard and Tube Products in EMEA
- Price Increase Announcement: Sonoco has announced an increase of €80 per ton for uncoated recycled paperboard and an 8% rise for tube and core products in the EMEA region, effective April 15, 2026, in direct response to ongoing inflationary pressures.
- Escalating Cost Pressures: The company’s executives highlighted that rising costs in energy, natural gas, fuel, chemicals, and additives are forcing them to pass these increases onto the market, as they can no longer absorb these expenses.
- Operational Scale: Sonoco operates 19 tube and core plants and five paperboard mills in Europe, focusing on maintaining supply security and product quality while managing rising operational costs.
- Company Overview: Founded in 1899, Sonoco reported net sales of $7.5 billion in 2025, employs approximately 22,000 people across 37 countries, and is committed to sustainable packaging solutions, recently recognized as one of the World's Most Admired Companies.
See More
Sonoco and Applied Digital See Active Options Trading
- Sonoco Options Volume: Sonoco Products Co. recorded options trading of 5,675 contracts, equating to approximately 567,500 shares, which represents about 65.6% of its average daily trading volume of 864,955 shares over the past month, indicating heightened market interest in its future performance.
- High Call Option Activity: Notably, the $60 strike call option expiring on May 15, 2026, saw 2,780 contracts traded today, representing around 278,000 underlying shares, suggesting that investors are increasingly optimistic about Sonoco's stock price appreciation.
- Applied Digital Options Dynamics: Applied Digital Corporation's options trading reached 102,143 contracts, translating to approximately 10.2 million shares, which accounts for 65.2% of its average daily trading volume of 15.7 million shares over the past month, reflecting active market interest in its stock.
- Bullish Call Option Trends: Particularly, the $24 strike call option expiring on April 2, 2026, recorded 5,025 contracts traded today, representing about 502,500 underlying shares, indicating strong investor confidence in Applied Digital's future growth prospects.
See More
Sonae SGPS SA Reports Strong Financial Growth
- Revenue Growth: Sonae SGPS SA reported a 14% year-on-year increase in consolidated revenue, reaching EUR 11.4 billion, primarily driven by strong performances in its retail businesses, highlighting the company's competitive edge and growth potential in the market.
- Health and Beauty Segment Performance: The health and beauty segment saw a remarkable 55% revenue growth, with like-for-like sales increasing by 5.6% and EBITDA margin improving from 12.5% to 13.1%, indicating sustained profitability and demand in this sector.
- Significant Debt Reduction: The company successfully reduced its net debt to EBITDA ratio from 2.9 times to 2.3 times, alongside a decrease in loan-to-value from 15.9% to 13.7%, demonstrating effective financial management and risk control.
- Strategic Acquisitions Strengthen Market Position: Sonae's strategic acquisitions, including Claranet Portugal and Sierra in Germany, have further solidified its market position, showcasing the company's foresight in expanding its business and enhancing market share.
See More
EVR Research Increases Stake in Sonoco Products
- Increased Holdings: EVR Research disclosed an additional purchase of 170,000 shares of Sonoco Products Company in Q4 2025, valued at approximately $7.04 million, indicating confidence in Sonoco's future growth prospects.
- Total Stake: By quarter-end, EVR's total stake in Sonoco reached 220,000 shares worth $9.60 million, reflecting a $7.45 million increase from the previous filing due to both stock price appreciation and additional shares.
- Market Performance: Sonoco shares are priced at $53.34, up 12.5% over the past year, although this underperforms the S&P 500's 19% gain, suggesting cautious market expectations regarding its future growth.
- Investment Signal: The increase in holdings signals EVR Research's concentrated investment strategy in industrial and materials stocks, with Sonoco demonstrating strong profitability and cash flow despite cost pressures and mixed demand, showcasing resilience in the market.
See More
Sonoco Products to Announce Q1 Earnings on April 21
- Earnings Announcement Date: Sonoco Products (SON) is set to release its Q1 2023 earnings on April 21 after market close, with consensus EPS estimate at $1.20, reflecting a 13% year-over-year decline.
- Performance Expectations: Despite the decline in EPS expectations, revenue is projected to remain flat at $1.71 billion, indicating a cautious market outlook on Sonoco's growth prospects, especially given its historical performance of beating EPS estimates only 50% of the time and revenue estimates 25% of the time over the past two years.
- Estimate Revision Dynamics: Over the last three months, EPS estimates have seen one upward revision and six downward adjustments, while revenue estimates have experienced three upward and three downward revisions, suggesting a divergence in analyst sentiment that could impact investor confidence.
- Historical Performance Review: In its recent Q4 report, Sonoco delivered a solid performance with a non-GAAP EPS of $1.05, beating expectations by $0.05, and revenue of $1.77 billion, exceeding estimates by $10 million, showcasing its ability to expand margins in the consumer packaging sector.
See More
Truist Lowers Sonoco Price Target to $68 Amid Market Conditions
- Price Target Adjustment: Truist has lowered Sonoco's price target from $69 to $68 while maintaining a Buy rating, reflecting adjustments in expectations for the packaging and paper products sector's Q1 performance.
- Market Condition Impact: The analyst highlights that rising energy and freight costs, along with insights from recent management check-ins and industry conference comments, have prompted updates to Sonoco's estimates.
- Competitor Dynamics: UBS and BofA have also reduced their price targets for Sonoco to $59 and $67 respectively, indicating a cautious market sentiment regarding the company's future performance, which may affect investor confidence.
- Financing and Pricing Strategy: Sonoco recently secured a new $300 million term loan and implemented a $70 per ton price increase for uncoated recycled paperboard, aimed at alleviating cost pressures and enhancing financial stability.
See More
Sonoco to Raise Prices for Paperboard and Tube Products in EMEA
- Price Increase Announcement: Sonoco has announced an increase of €80 per ton for uncoated recycled paperboard and an 8% rise for tube and core products in the EMEA region, effective April 15, 2026, in direct response to ongoing inflationary pressures.
- Escalating Cost Pressures: The company’s executives highlighted that rising costs in energy, natural gas, fuel, chemicals, and additives are forcing them to pass these increases onto the market, as they can no longer absorb these expenses.
- Operational Scale: Sonoco operates 19 tube and core plants and five paperboard mills in Europe, focusing on maintaining supply security and product quality while managing rising operational costs.
- Company Overview: Founded in 1899, Sonoco reported net sales of $7.5 billion in 2025, employs approximately 22,000 people across 37 countries, and is committed to sustainable packaging solutions, recently recognized as one of the World's Most Admired Companies.
See More
Sonoco and Applied Digital See Active Options Trading
- Sonoco Options Volume: Sonoco Products Co. recorded options trading of 5,675 contracts, equating to approximately 567,500 shares, which represents about 65.6% of its average daily trading volume of 864,955 shares over the past month, indicating heightened market interest in its future performance.
- High Call Option Activity: Notably, the $60 strike call option expiring on May 15, 2026, saw 2,780 contracts traded today, representing around 278,000 underlying shares, suggesting that investors are increasingly optimistic about Sonoco's stock price appreciation.
- Applied Digital Options Dynamics: Applied Digital Corporation's options trading reached 102,143 contracts, translating to approximately 10.2 million shares, which accounts for 65.2% of its average daily trading volume of 15.7 million shares over the past month, reflecting active market interest in its stock.
- Bullish Call Option Trends: Particularly, the $24 strike call option expiring on April 2, 2026, recorded 5,025 contracts traded today, representing about 502,500 underlying shares, indicating strong investor confidence in Applied Digital's future growth prospects.
See More
Sonae SGPS SA Reports Strong Financial Growth
- Revenue Growth: Sonae SGPS SA reported a 14% year-on-year increase in consolidated revenue, reaching EUR 11.4 billion, primarily driven by strong performances in its retail businesses, highlighting the company's competitive edge and growth potential in the market.
- Health and Beauty Segment Performance: The health and beauty segment saw a remarkable 55% revenue growth, with like-for-like sales increasing by 5.6% and EBITDA margin improving from 12.5% to 13.1%, indicating sustained profitability and demand in this sector.
- Significant Debt Reduction: The company successfully reduced its net debt to EBITDA ratio from 2.9 times to 2.3 times, alongside a decrease in loan-to-value from 15.9% to 13.7%, demonstrating effective financial management and risk control.
- Strategic Acquisitions Strengthen Market Position: Sonae's strategic acquisitions, including Claranet Portugal and Sierra in Germany, have further solidified its market position, showcasing the company's foresight in expanding its business and enhancing market share.
See More
EVR Research Increases Stake in Sonoco Products
- Increased Holdings: EVR Research disclosed an additional purchase of 170,000 shares of Sonoco Products Company in Q4 2025, valued at approximately $7.04 million, indicating confidence in Sonoco's future growth prospects.
- Total Stake: By quarter-end, EVR's total stake in Sonoco reached 220,000 shares worth $9.60 million, reflecting a $7.45 million increase from the previous filing due to both stock price appreciation and additional shares.
- Market Performance: Sonoco shares are priced at $53.34, up 12.5% over the past year, although this underperforms the S&P 500's 19% gain, suggesting cautious market expectations regarding its future growth.
- Investment Signal: The increase in holdings signals EVR Research's concentrated investment strategy in industrial and materials stocks, with Sonoco demonstrating strong profitability and cash flow despite cost pressures and mixed demand, showcasing resilience in the market.
See More
