Ball (BALL) Q1 Earnings: Taking a Look at Key Metrics Versus Estimates

For the quarter ended March 2023, Ball (BALL) reported revenue of $3.49 billion, down 6.1% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $0.69, compared to $0.77 in the year-ago quarter.

The reported revenue represents a surprise of -3.13% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.6 billion. With the consensus EPS estimate being $0.49, the EPS surprise was +40.82%.

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 Ball performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:

• Net Sales- Other: $193 million versus the four-analyst average estimate of $158.73 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +15.6%.
• Net Sales- Beverage packaging, North and Central America: $1.50 billion versus $1.55 billion estimated by four analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -6.5% change.
• Net Sales- Beverage packaging, EMEA: $834 million compared to the $736.09 million average estimate based on four analysts. The reported number represents a change of -11.5% year over year.
• Net Sales- Beverage packaging, South America: $450 million versus $564.29 million estimated by four analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -8.9% change.
• Net Sales- Aerospace: $508 million versus $524.47 million estimated by four analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +0.8% change.
• Comparable operating earnings- Beverage packaging, North and Central America: $183 million versus the four-analyst average estimate of $152.93 million.
• Comparable operating earnings- Aerospace: $60 million versus the four-analyst average estimate of $48.18 million.
• Comparable operating earnings- Beverage packaging, EMEA: $73 million versus $63.82 million estimated by four analysts on average.
• Comparable operating earnings- Beverage packaging, South America: $50 million versus the four-analyst average estimate of $56.78 million.

View all Key Company Metrics for Ball here>>>

Shares of Ball have returned -1.7% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's -0.7% 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.

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