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Sonoco (SON) Earnings Top Estimates in Q2, Sales Dip Y/Y

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Sonoco Products Company (SON - Free Report) reported adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $1.28 in second-quarter 2024, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.26. The figure was within the company’s guidance of $1.25-$1.35. The bottom line fell 7% from the prior-year quarter.

Including one-time items, the company reported an EPS of 92 cents compared with the year-ago quarter’s $1.16.

Sonoco’s net sales were $1.62 billion, which missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.68 million. The top line fell 4.8% year over year, hurt by the divestiture of Protective Solutions and the thermoformed food packaging plant closure.

Sonoco Products Company Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

 

Sonoco Products Company Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

Sonoco Products Company price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Sonoco Products Company Quote

Operational Update

The cost of sales was $1.27 billion, 6.1% lower than the year-earlier quarter. The gross profit in the reported quarter totaled $357 million, flat year over year. The gross margin came in at 22% compared with the year-ago quarter’s 21%.

Selling, general and administrative expenses amounted to $202 million, up 18.5% year over year.

Adjusted operating income was $193 million in the reported quarter compared with the prior-year quarter’s $211 million. The operating margin came in at 11.9%, down from the year-ago quarter’s 12.4%.

Segmental Performance

The Consumer Packaging segment’s net sales were down 4% year over year to $928 million due to lower pricing. This was partially offset by year-over-year volume growth in both food and aerosol. Operating profit amounted to $112 million, up 11% from the prior-year quarter. 

Net sales in the Industrial Paper Packaging segment were $601 million, reflecting a year-over-year rise of 3% due to higher volume. Operating profit totaled $67 million, reflecting a 23% year-over-year fall. The gains were partially offset by lower index-related pricing.

Sales for the All Other segment, which comprises protective, healthcare, retail and industrial plastics units, were $95 million, down 36% year over year. Operating profit for the segment totaled $14 million compared with the year-ago quarter’s $23 million.

Financial Performance

Sonoco reported cash and cash equivalents of $140 million at the end of the second quarter of 2024 compared with $152 million at the end of 2023. The company generated cash flow from operating activities of around $275 million in the first half of 2024 compared with $349 million in the prior-year period.

As of Jul 2, 2024, total debt was $3 billion, unchanged from Dec 31, 2023.

Q3 & 2024 Guidance

Sonoco projects the third-quarter 2023 adjusted EPS between $1.40 and $1.60.

The company expects an adjusted EPS of $5.00-$5.30 for 2024. Adjusted EBITDA is expected between $1.05 billion and $1.10 billion. The operating cash flow for the year is expected between $650 million and $750 million.

Price Performance

SON shares have lost 7.4% in the past year against the industry’s growth of 13%.

 

Zacks Investment Research
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

 

Zacks Rank

Sonoco currently carries a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell). 

You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Peer Performances

Packaging Corporation of America (PKG - Free Report) reported an adjusted EPS of $2.20 in the second quarter of 2024, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.12. The reported figure was higher than the company’s guidance of $2.07 in the quarter under review. However, the bottom line decreased 5% year over year.

Sales in the second quarter grew 6.3% year over year to $2.08 billion. The top line beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.03 billion.

AptarGroup, Inc. (ATR - Free Report) reported second-quarter 2024 adjusted earnings per share of $1.37, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.36. The bottom line increased 12% year over year from $1.22 (including comparable exchange rates).

Total revenues increased 1.6% year over year to $910 million in the reported quarter. The reported figure missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $923 million. Core sales, excluding currency and acquisition effects, improved 3% year over year. The upside was driven by the solid performance in the Pharma segment. We expected core sales to be up 2.6% in the quarter.

Greif, Inc. (GEF - Free Report) reported adjusted earnings per share of 82 cents in second-quarter fiscal 2024 (ended Apr 30, 2024), which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 77 cents. The bottom line fell 54% year over year. Results were impacted by elevated raw material, transportation and manufacturing costs, and higher SG&A expenses, reflecting increased compensation expenses and costs incurred for strategic investments.

Sales rose 4.1% year over year to $1.37 billion. The top line surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.31 billion.


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