Ball Q1 comparable EPS rises 22.1% to 94 cents on higher sales and earnings
Ball Corporation reported first quarter 2026 comparable diluted earnings per share of 94 cents, up from 77 cents a year earlier, on net sales of $3.60 billion. The company reiterated its 2026 outlook for comparable EPS growth of 10-plus percent and free cash flow greater than $900 million, but first-quarter free cash flow was negative $938 million.
Key points
- Comparable diluted EPS was 94 cents vs. 77 cents; comparable operating earnings were $387 million vs. $352 million, up 9.9%.
- U.S. GAAP diluted EPS was 77 cents vs. 63 cents, on net sales of $3.60 billion vs. $3.10 billion.
- Free cash flow was negative $938 million in the quarter, with operating cash flow of negative $777 million.
- 2026 outlook: comparable EPS growth of 10-plus percent, free cash flow greater than $900 million, and at least $800 million returned to shareholders through buybacks and dividends.
The filing
Written by AI (Anthropic Claude, claude-haiku-5-5) on Nov 8, 2026, 1:11 AM ET, from the text of the filing and its press-release exhibits only. Written later: this filing was briefed after the fact, when past filings were added to the site, so the brief may be read with hindsight; the filing itself is the record of what was known on May 05, 2026.
Briefs are written by AI from the filing text (each brief's own page names the model) and can contain mistakes — open the filing before acting on anything. Impact (1-5) and tone are the model's reading of the filing for shareholders, not a price forecast. Not investment advice.