Sonoco (SON) Q3 2026 Earnings
How Did SON Stock React to Q3 2026 Earnings?
Did SON Beat Earnings? Q3 2026 Results
No. Sonoco reported Q3 2026 earnings of $1.67 a share on Oct 21, 2026, missing the $1.85 consensus estimate by 9.5%. Revenue was $2.0B against a $2.1B estimate.
Sonoco Products fell short on both top and bottom lines in Q3 2026, delivering adjusted earnings of $1.67 per diluted share against a consensus estimate of $1.85, a miss of 9.51%, while revenue of $2.04 billion trailed expectations by 2.11% and declined 4.2% year over year. The headline numbers, however, were overshadowed by a $829 million non-cash goodwill impairment charge that drove a GAAP net loss of $732 million, with the bulk of the writedown concentrated in the Consumer Packaging EMEA/APAC unit. Underlying pressures were equally notable, as drought conditions in Europe and the U.S. dampened food can demand, raw material, freight, and energy costs exceeded management's expectations, and the November 2025 divestiture of ThermoSafe continued to weigh on reported sales. Analysts had already trimmed price targets heading into the print, reflecting caution around the earnings setup. Looking ahead, Sonoco guided full-year 2026 adjusted EPS to $5.30 to $5.50 and net sales to $7.20 billion to $7.40 billion, while launching a Profitability Performance Plan aimed at restoring margin momentum.
- Productivity savings and fixed cost reduction initiatives partially mitigated inflation headwinds
- Higher selling prices implemented to offset inflation and tariff impacts
- North America URB trade ton sales increased 10% year over year with 94% mill utilization
- International paper can operations delivered double-digit volume growth driven by snack product demand in emerging markets
- Drought conditions in Europe and U.S. impacted crop yields and pressured food can demand
- Inflation on raw materials, freight, energy, and other operating costs exceeded expectations
- Consumer segment volume/mix declined 3% year over year
“During the third quarter, our businesses faced a combination of external challenges. Drought conditions across parts of Europe and the U.S. impacted crop yields and pressured food can demand, while the impact of inflation on raw materials, freight, energy, and other operating costs exceeded our expectations. Through strong productivity initiatives and rigorous cost control, our teams were able to mitigate a significant portion of this impact and deliver resilient operating results.”
Sonoco CEO, on the earnings call
What Is Sonoco's Outlook?
Sonoco revised its full-year 2026 guidance: net sales of $7.20 billion to $7.40 billion; adjusted EPS of $5.30 to $5.50; adjusted EBITDA of $1.20 billion to $1.25 billion; and operating cash flow of $600 million to $650 million (including one-time tax payments on prior year divestiture gains and restructuring costs). For Q4 2026, management expects continued strong performance from the Industrial segment supported by robust URB demand in North America, more stable Consumer segment performance driven by international paper can growth and balanced aerosol/food can volumes, and continued focus on recovering raw material, freight, energy, and other operating costs. The company is implementing a Profitability Performance Plan to reduce costs and improve productivity.
SON YoY Financials
| Metric | Q3 2026 | Q3 2025 | Year over year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $2.0B | $2.1B | −4.2% |
| Gross Profit | $405.3M | $467.3M | −13.3% |
SON Revenue by Segment
Figures from SEC filings and company reports. Not investment advice.