What Happened?

Shares of packaging manufacturer Ball (NYSE:BLL) fell 7.7% in the afternoon session after the company reported weak fourth-quarter results, with its revenue falling below Wall Street's expectations. Weak demand in North and Central America dragged down volumes and prices. Still, its earnings per share beat expectations. Zooming out, we think this quarter was mixed yet weaker quarter.

The stock market overreacts to news, and big price drops can present good opportunities to buy high-quality stocks. Is now the time to buy Ball? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free.

What The Market Is Telling Us

Ball’s shares are not very volatile and have only had 4 moves greater than 5% over the last year. In that context, today’s move indicates the market considers this news meaningful, although it might not be something that would fundamentally change its perception of the business.

Ball is down 5.8% since the beginning of the year, and at $51.27 per share, it is trading 27.5% below its 52-week high of $70.72 from April 2024. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of Ball’s shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $683.48.

When a company has more cash than it knows what to do with, buying back its own shares can make a lot of sense–as long as the price is right. Luckily, we’ve found one, a low-priced stock that is gushing free cash flow AND buying back shares. Click here to claim your Special Free Report on a fallen angel growth story that is already recovering from a setback.