World Investment Advisors Lowers Stock Position in Sonoco Products Company $SON

World Investment Advisors cut its position in Sonoco Products Company (NYSE:SON) by 55.1% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 7,988 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 9,789 shares during the quarter. World Investment Advisors’ holdings in Sonoco Products were worth $349,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in SON. Powell Investment Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Sonoco Products by 1.0% in the fourth quarter. Powell Investment Advisors LLC now owns 20,718 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $904,000 after buying an additional 203 shares during the last quarter. IFP Advisors Inc boosted its holdings in shares of Sonoco Products by 8.6% in the fourth quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 2,996 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $131,000 after acquiring an additional 237 shares in the last quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. increased its position in Sonoco Products by 77.7% during the 4th quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 590 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 258 shares during the period. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC grew its holdings in Sonoco Products by 5.3% during the third quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 6,006 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $259,000 after acquiring an additional 304 shares during the period. Finally, Gentry Private Wealth LLC grew its stake in shares of Sonoco Products by 3.7% during the 3rd quarter. Gentry Private Wealth LLC now owns 10,181 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $439,000 after purchasing an additional 362 shares during the period. 77.69% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Sonoco Products

In related news, insider James A. Harrell III purchased 6,753 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, April 27th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $50.37 per share, for a total transaction of $340,148.61. Following the acquisition, the insider directly owned 10,070 shares in the company, valued at $507,225.90. The trade was a 203.59% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CFO Paul Joachimczyk acquired 8,058 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, April 24th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $49.64 per share, with a total value of $399,999.12. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 28,558 shares in the company, valued at $1,417,619.12. The trade was a 39.31% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Insiders own 0.98% of the company’s stock.

Sonoco Products Stock Up 1.4%

SON opened at $54.27 on Friday. Sonoco Products Company has a 1 year low of $38.65 and a 1 year high of $58.44. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $50.35 and a 200 day moving average price of $50.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97, a quick ratio of 0.54 and a current ratio of 0.96. The company has a market cap of $5.37 billion, a PE ratio of 5.32, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.39.

Sonoco Products (NYSE:SON) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The industrial products company reported $1.20 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.57 by ($0.37). Sonoco Products had a net margin of 13.57% and a return on equity of 16.50%. The business had revenue of $1.68 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.88 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.38 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 1.9% on a year-over-year basis. Sonoco Products has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.800-6.200 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Sonoco Products Company will post 5.81 earnings per share for the current year.

Sonoco Products Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Investors of record on Friday, May 8th were issued a dividend of $0.54 per share. This represents a $2.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.0%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 8th. This is an increase from Sonoco Products’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. Sonoco Products’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 21.18%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft started coverage on shares of Sonoco Products in a report on Wednesday, April 1st. They issued a “buy” rating and a $63.00 target price for the company. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on shares of Sonoco Products from $60.00 to $56.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, March 20th. Argus raised Sonoco Products to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, April 20th. UBS Group decreased their price target on shares of Sonoco Products from $62.00 to $59.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 10th. Finally, Bank of America restated a “buy” rating on shares of Sonoco Products in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $60.11.

Sonoco Products Company Profile

Sonoco Products Company (NYSE: SON) is a global provider of diversified packaging solutions, serving a wide range of consumer, industrial and retail markets. The company offers a broad portfolio that includes rigid paper and plastic containers, flexible packaging, industrial core and tube products, thermoformed plastics, retail point-of-purchase displays, and packaging supply chain services. Through its solutions, Sonoco helps customers in food and beverage, personal care, chemicals, healthcare, home and garden, and electronics industries address their packaging needs, improve product shelf appeal, and optimize logistics efficiency.

With operations in more than 30 countries across North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Africa, Sonoco leverages a global network of manufacturing facilities, recycling centers and distribution channels to meet the demands of multinational and regional customers.