ATR

AptarGroup, Inc. ATR reported second-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings of $1.42 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.34 by 5.97%. The bottom line fell 15.5% from $1.68 a year ago (including comparable exchange rates), reflecting weaker margins and a higher tax rate.On a reported basis, earnings per share were $1.36 compared with the year-ago quarter’s $1.67. AptarGroup, Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | AptarGroup, Inc. Quote Revenues rose 6.3% year over year to $1.03 billion and surpassed the consensus estimate of $1 billion by 2.32%. The quarter marked the first time reporting revenues of more than $1 billion. Core sales increased 1%, aided by growth across all three segments and strength in consumer healthcare and beverage dispensing. We predicted core sales growth of 0.5% in the quarter. Cost of sales increased 10.3% year over year to $661 million. Gross profit decreased 0.4% year over year to $366 million. The gross margin was 35.6% in the reported quarter compared with the prior-year quarter’s 38%.Selling, research, development and administrative expenses rose 4.4% year over year to $158 million. Adjusted operating income declined 10.5% year over year to $133 million. The adjusted operating margin was 13% in the reported quarter, down from the year-ago quarter’s 15.4%. Adjusted EBITDA decreased 2.7% year over year to $213 million in the second quarter. Total revenues in the Pharma segment increased 3.5% year over year to $458 million. The reported figure beat our estimate of $446 million. Adjusted EBITDA declined 1.9% year over year to $153.9 million. The segment’s adjusted EBITDA margin contracted to 33.6% from 35.4% in the year-ago quarter. We predicted a quarterly adjusted operating income of $159 million. Demand remained healthy across the central nervous system, asthma and COPD therapies, eye care, biologics, GLP-1 therapies, and vaccines.Total revenues in the Beauty segment rose 9.7% year over year to $367.5 million. The upside was supported by prestige fragrance dispensing, color cosmetics and hair care applications. We estimated revenues of $357 million for the quarter. Adjusted EBITDA fell 5% year over year to $44.7 million. The reported figure beat our operating income prediction of $41.5 million. The adjusted EBITDA margin was 12.2% compared with the prior-year quarter’s 14.1%.Total revenues in the Closures segment increased 6.5% year over year to $201 million. We estimated revenues of $192 million for the quarter. Adjusted EBITDA decreased 6.4% year over year to $29.8 million. The reported figure beat our operating income prediction of $29.2 million. The segment’s adjusted EBITDA margin declined to 14.9% from 16.9% a year ago. AptarGroup reported cash and cash equivalents of $190 million as of June 30, 2026, down from $402 million as of Dec. 31, 2025. The company generated $222 million in cash flow from operations in the first six months of 2026 compared with $209 million in the year-ago period.The company returned $212 million to shareholders during the first half through dividends and buybacks, including $81 million in the second quarter. During the quarter, ATR repurchased 403,000 shares for $50 million. Its board also approved a quarterly dividend of 48 cents per share. ATR expects third-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings of $1.45-$1.53 per share. The company expects solid growth across all three segments. Pharma should benefit from injectables and consumer healthcare, with emergency medicine destocking expected to abate by the fourth quarter. Beauty growth is anticipated in fragrance and facial skincare, while Closures demand and operational performance are expected to improve. The company’s shares have lost 1.5% in the past year against the industry’s 8.4% growth. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research The company currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Packaging Corporation of America PKG reported second-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings of $2.35 per share, down 5.2% year over year but beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.31. The bottom line also came above Packaging Corp’s guidance of $2.33.Packaging Corp’s revenues increased 14.7% year over year to $2.49 billion and surpassed the consensus estimate of $2.40 billion by 3.6%. Total corrugated products shipments reached an all-time quarterly record, rising 24.3% both per day and in total from the prior-year quarter. Crown Holdings, Inc. CCK posted second-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings of $2.49 per share, up 15.8% year over year. The figure surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.15 by 15.81%.Crown Holdings revenues increased 16.5% to $3.67 billion and beat the consensus estimate of $3.34 billion by 9.88%. Global beverage can volumes rose 5%, led by 6% growth in Europe and 5% growth in the Americas. This was partially offset by softer demand in Latin America.Sonoco Products Company SON reported adjusted earnings of $1.51 per share in the second quarter of 2026, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.47 by 2.72%. The figure rose 10.2% from $1.37 in the year-ago quarter. Pricing actions, favorable foreign-exchange movements and productivity gains helped offset softer volume/mix during the quarter. Sonoco’s revenues of $1.885 billion declined 1.3% year over year and missed the consensus mark of $1.886 billion by 0.05%. Sonoco’s top line declined from the prior-year period primarily due to the absence of sales from the ThermoSafe business, which was divested in November 2025. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report AptarGroup, Inc. (ATR) : Free Stock Analysis Report Sonoco Products Company (SON) : Free Stock Analysis Report Packaging Corporation of America (PKG) : Free Stock Analysis Report Crown Holdings, Inc. (CCK) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com). Zacks Investment Research

This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Release Date: July 31, 2026 For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. All three segments delivered positive sales growth, with reported sales increasing 6% to a new quarterly record of approximately $1 billion. The pharma segment showed resilience with 8% core sales growth, driven by strong demand in injectables (up 9%) and consumer healthcare (up 15%), despite the anticipated decline in emergency medicine. The company achieved adjusted EPS of $1.42, which was above its guidance range, due to better-than-expected operational performance. AptarGroup Inc (NYSE:ATR) received FDA approval for its ENSORB patent, a first-of-its-kind packaging solution designed to reduce nitrosamine impurities, positioning the company to meet regulatory demands. The FDA's updated guidance for generic inhaled therapies is expected to streamline requirements, potentially bringing more generic products to market efficiently and highlighting the value of AptarGroup Inc (NYSE:ATR)'s scientific expertise. The company continues to see strong momentum in prestige fragrance and beverage closures, with beverage core sales up 14%, and maintains a strong balance sheet with a leverage ratio of 1.49. Adjusted EBITDA margin declined to 20.7% from 22.6% in the prior year, primarily due to less favorable product mix and ongoing operational challenges in the beauty segment. The pharma segment experienced a 7% decline in prescription core sales, largely due to the anticipated destocking-related decline in emergency medicines, which is expected to be a significant headwind through the third quarter. Beauty segment adjusted EBITDA margin fell 190 basis points year-over-year to 12.2%, impacted by lower product volumes, unfavorable mix, and a timing lag in cost pass-throughs. Closures segment adjusted EBITDA margin declined 200 basis points year-over-year to 14%, temporarily impacted by the ramp-up of new production lines and a previously reported maintenance initiative. Adjusted earnings per share decreased 15% year-over-year to $1.42, driven by lower sales of important pharma products, operational issues in beauty and closures, higher depreciation, and increased interest expenses. The company experienced higher input costs due to Middle East conflicts, which, while largely offset by customer pass-throughs, created a timing lag in the beauty segment and negatively impacted margins. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 8 Warning Signs with PMMAF. Is ATR fairly valued? Test your thesis with our free DCF calculator. Q: Can you confirm if there's any benefit from tariff refunds in the quarter, and given that pharma core sales have been below trend for two years, is there a reason why we should not expect growth in pharma to be within your 7-11% core sales target in 2027? A: Vanessa Cano (CFO) confirmed there was no P&L benefit from tariff refunds in the quarter; the beat versus guidance was purely operational, driven by the strength of pharma. In fact, the company absorbed a headwind of a couple of cents from FX as actual exchange rates came in at 1.16 versus the 1.18 guidance. Gael Tuya (CEO Designate) expressed confidence in the 7-11% long-term pharma growth target, citing the robustness of the pipeline, strong market positions, and the company's track record of delivering on long-term targets over the past 8 years. Q: When should we see beauty become a sustained grower of both volume and earnings, given it has lagged in improvement for a number of periods? A: Stefan Tande (President and CEO) acknowledged that while the turnaround in Europe and Asia has been successful, the Americas have fallen short due to operational issues. He noted that he has made the mistake of giving it time before, but the incoming CEO will take a fresh perspective. Gael Tuya (CEO Designate) stated he is re-engaging with factories and customers to build on what works and course-correct what needs to be corrected, emphasizing a focus on delivering commitments and preparing the company for future growth. Q: Should we expect gross margin expansion in the second half of the year, or is it still the SG&A line item driving margin expansion? A: Vanessa Cano (CFO) explained that the gross margin compression was primarily due to the emergency medicine dynamic, which was strongest in the first half. As that headwind eases in the back half, she expects gross margins to improve. She also noted progressive improvement in both beauty and closures, with closures continuing to improve as maintenance issues abate, and pharma delivering a solid quarter of growth with momentum continuing for the rest of the year. Q: Can you provide more color on the strong 15% growth in consumer healthcare, and was it a function of easy comps or any pull-forward in the quarter? A: Stefan Tande (President and CEO) confirmed that destocking has run its course, and the quarter was strong, especially in congestion relief. Gael Tuya (CEO Designate) added that the company is converting the market to preservative-free formulations, which continues to be solid across regions, and the cold and flu season is positive for the business. The growth was driven by strong demand for nasal decongestants, eye care, and dermal solutions, supported by strong tooling sales. Q: Can you describe how the injectables funnel has started to build as a new growth driver, and provide an update on how the Congers capacity build is scaling up? A: Gael Tuya (CEO Designate) highlighted that GLP-1 is a strong performer, but biologics are also robust in both performance and pipeline, with biologics now representing more than 50% of pharma R&D. The Annex 1 regulatory compliance is raising the bar, and customers are looking for players fully compliant with Annex 1. Regarding Congers, the company has completed the major capital investments and is well-positioned from an injectable perspective in Europe, the US, and Asia, with customer audits and inspections already completed to support the growth. Q: Can you talk about the collaborative framework for injectable therapies that was mentioned in the opening remarks, and what does the Q3 guide assume for FX? A: Gael Tuya (CEO Designate) explained that the collaborative framework makes validation and qualification easier for customers by working with different players in the market to provide a fully integrated validation, covering not just the plunger but the plunger with the pre-filled syringe and the device. This gives the company a close relationship with other players in the market. Vanessa Cano (CFO) stated that the Q3 guide assumes an EUR/USD exchange rate of 1.14, compared to the Q2 average of 1.16, representing a quarter-over-quarter headwind of about $0.02. Q: What was the dollar impact of emergency medicine in Q2, and how much of the core sales growth was from resin pass-throughs, split by segment? A: Vanessa Cano (CFO) stated that the most she could say on emergency medicine is that two-thirds of the full-year decline was incurred in the first half, with the quarter in line with expectations and the headwind fully abating by Q4. On resin pass-throughs, she confirmed they were successfully passed through in every segment, with closures having the biggest impact given the percentage of resin used. However, she noted that without the pass-throughs, closures still had strong revenue and volume growth. She also mentioned a delay in beauty pass-throughs, which was a detriment of about 80-90 basis points of margin in the quarter, expected to be resolved in Q3. Q: Have you seen any weakness in the Brazilian market relative to your beauty and personal care business? A: Stefan Tande (President and CEO) confirmed that Aptar has also experienced weak sales in Brazil, describing it as a feast-or-famine cycle with two customers that trade chairs. This weakness has contributed to the challenges in the beauty segment's Americas performance. Q: Within beauty, does it come to a time where you actually take action in the next year to do something more structural to fix the performance? A: Stefan Tande (President and CEO) stated that the company is not taking the situation as it is and has clear ideas on how to address the shortfall in the Americas, but it is too early to commit to that. Gael Tuya (CEO Designate) added that he is taking an open-minded approach, looking at the best interests of customers and shareholders, and will come back with more details in due course. Q: As you step into the CEO role, how do you view the coexistence of the high-margin pharma business with the lower-margin beauty and closures segments, and would you allocate capital differently? A: Gael Tuya (CEO Designate) expressed excitement about stepping into the role and standing on the shoulders of his predecessors. He noted that while he has been a beauty and closures guy for years For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.

Interested in AptarGroup, Inc.? Here are five stocks we like better. AptarGroup reported record second-quarter sales of approximately $1 billion, up 6% year over year, while adjusted EPS of $1.42 exceeded guidance. However, adjusted EBITDA fell 3% and the margin declined to 20.7% amid weaker emergency medicine sales, operating challenges and higher costs. Pharma remained the strongest area, with core sales up 8% excluding the anticipated emergency medicine decline, supported by consumer healthcare, injectables and demand tied to GLP-1 therapies and biologics. Beauty and Closures also posted sales growth, but both faced significant margin pressure from lower volumes, unfavorable mix and production costs. Aptar forecast third-quarter adjusted EPS of $1.45 to $1.53 and expects growth across all three segments. CEO Stephan Tanda will retire later this year, with Gael Touya scheduled to become CEO on Sept. 1 and focus on profitable growth, execution and capital allocation. AptarGroup (NYSE:ATR) reported second-quarter sales growth across each of its three segments and adjusted earnings per share above its guidance range, supported by stronger-than-expected performance in its Pharma business. The company also said President and CEO Stephan Tanda will retire later this year, with President and CEO Designate Gael Touya set to assume the CEO role on Sept. 1. Reported second-quarter sales increased 6% to approximately $1 billion, a quarterly record, while core sales, which exclude currency effects and acquisitions, rose 1% from a year earlier. Adjusted EBITDA declined 3% to $213 million, and adjusted EBITDA margin fell to 20.7% from 22.6% in the prior-year period. Adjusted EPS was $1.42, compared with $1.68 a year earlier at comparable exchange rates. → Why SK hynix Could Be the Best AI Chip Stock to Buy Now Chief Financial Officer Vanessa Kanu said the earnings decline reflected lower emergency medicine sales in Pharma, operating challenges in Beauty and Closures, higher depreciation and amortization related to investments and acquisitions, and higher interest expense. Pharma core sales rose 1% in the quarter, affected by an anticipated decline in emergency medicine sales. Aptar expects emergency medicine sales to decline by about $65 million during fiscal 2026. Kanu said roughly two-thirds of that headwind occurred during the first half, with most of it occurring in the second quarter. The remaining portion is expected primarily in the third quarter, with the year-over-year impact expected to abate by the fourth quarter. → Microsoft Just Flipped the AI Spending Narrative Overnight Excluding emergency medicine, Pharma core sales rose 8%. Prescription core sales declined 7% overall but increased 8% excluding emergency medicine, driven by central nervous system treatments and asthma and COPD applications. Consumer healthcare core sales increased 15%, supported by demand for nasal decongestants, eye-care products, dermal solutions and tooling. Injectables core sales rose 9%, reflecting demand for elastomeric components used in GLP-1 therapies, biologics and vaccines. Pharma’s adjusted EBITDA margin was 33.6%, down 180 basis points from the prior year, largely because of the mix effect from lower high-margin emergency medicine sales. Kanu said the segment’s margin would have improved year over year excluding emergency medicine. → Carrier Earnings Could Send the Stock to a New All-Time High Management also pointed to continued pipeline activity in Annex I compliance, GLP-1 and biologics projects. Touya said the company has completed its larger investment phase at its Congers, New York, injectable manufacturing site and that customer audits, inspections and validations are supporting growth. The company highlighted several technology developments, including an approved U.S. patent application for N-Sorb, an active-material solution intended to address nitrosamine impurities in pharmaceutical products. Aptar also introduced a collaborative system framework for injectable therapies designed to provide customers with earlier information on the performance of assembled injection systems. In respiratory delivery, Aptar noted regulatory approvals involving products that use its inhaler technologies. It also cited Chiesi’s U.K. approval for what Aptar described as the first pressurized metered-dose inhaler using HFA-152a, a next-generation lower-global-warming-potential propellant. Beauty core sales increased 1%, as demand for dispensing systems and higher input-cost pass-throughs offset lower tooling sales. Fragrance, facial skincare and color cosmetics sales grew 2%, led by prestige fragrance pumps and color cosmetics. Personal care sales were flat, as hair-care demand did not fully offset lower tooling sales. Beauty’s adjusted EBITDA margin was 12.2%, down 190 basis points year over year, though it improved sequentially from the first quarter. Kanu attributed the year-over-year decline to lower volumes, unfavorable mix and the timing of resin and other inflationary pass-throughs. She said a delay in Beauty pricing pass-throughs reduced the segment’s quarterly margin by roughly 80 to 90 basis points and is expected to be resolved in the third quarter. During the question-and-answer session, Tanda said Aptar had experienced weak sales in Brazil, where he said two major customers can shift market share. He said the company’s Beauty turnaround in Europe has reached its target range, while Asia is performing above that range, but the Americas have underperformed because of operational challenges in North America and market weakness in Brazil. Touya said he is reviewing the business with a “fresh perspective” and plans to engage with customers and operations teams before detailing further actions. Closures core sales increased 4%. Food sales declined 1% due to lower tooling sales, partially offset by demand for sauce and condiment dispensing closures. Beverage sales rose 14%, driven by bottled water and functional sports drinks. The segment’s adjusted EBITDA margin was 14.9%, down 200 basis points, due to the ramp-up of new production lines and a maintenance initiative that management said is making sequential progress. For the first six months of 2026, reported sales rose 8% and core sales increased 1%. Adjusted EBITDA was unchanged at $401 million, while adjusted EBITDA margin declined 170 basis points to 20%. Adjusted EPS fell 12% to $2.61. Year-to-date free cash flow increased by $8 million to $99 million, consisting of $222 million in cash from operations less $123 million in capital expenditures, net of government grants. Aptar returned $212 million to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases during the first half, including the repurchase of 1.1 million shares for $150 million. The company ended the quarter with $190 million in cash, $1.2 billion in net debt and a leverage ratio of 1.49 times. Kanu said Aptar expects third-quarter adjusted EPS of $1.45 to $1.53, based on an effective tax rate of 22.5% to 24.5% and a euro-to-U.S.-dollar exchange rate of $1.14. Full-year capital investments are expected to range from $260 million to $280 million, while depreciation and amortization expense is projected at $310 million to $320 million. Touya said Aptar expects growth across all three segments, citing demand in Pharma, continued momentum in Closures and improving trends in Beauty. As he prepares to take over as CEO, Touya said his priorities will be to drive profitable growth, execute consistently and allocate capital thoughtfully. AptarGroup, Inc is a global provider of advanced dispensing, sealing and protection solutions for consumer and pharmaceutical markets. The company designs and manufactures a broad portfolio of products that enable the controlled delivery of liquids, gels, powders and aerosols. Its customer base spans beauty and personal care, home care, food and beverage, and pharmaceutical sectors, where innovation in packaging and drug‐delivery devices drives brand differentiation and regulatory compliance. In the consumer markets, AptarGroup offers pumps, actuators, valves, closures and specialized bottles engineered for precision, convenience and sustainability. This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to [email protected]. The article "AptarGroup Q2 Earnings Call Highlights" was originally published by MarketBeat. View MarketBeat's top stocks for July 2026.

Our analysts just identified a stock with the potential to be the next Nvidia. Tell us how you invest and we'll show you why it's our #1 pick. Tap here. Pharma performance was driven by strong demand in injectables for GLP-1 therapies and biologics, alongside a recovery in consumer health care following the completion of destocking cycles. The company is strategically pivoting from a component supplier to a solution partner by expanding services in formulation development, analytical support, and regulatory guidance. Management attributed the year-over-year margin compression to a less favorable product mix, specifically the anticipated decline in high-margin emergency medicine sales. While the company has achieved successful turnarounds in Europe and Asia through measures like plant consolidations and cost-base improvements, management has not yet committed to specific structural actions to address operational shortfalls in the Americas. The company is capitalizing on a 'nasalization' trend, where therapies for central nervous system disorders are moving from traditional delivery to nasal routes for faster onset. A favorable court ruling in trade secret litigation reinforced management's focus on protecting proprietary manufacturing know-how and intellectual property as a competitive moat. The headwind from emergency medicine destocking is expected to abate by the fourth quarter, with approximately one-third of the total $65 million annual impact remaining for the second half of the year. Management anticipates gross margin expansion in the second half of 2026 as the high-margin product mix normalizes and operational improvements in Beauty and Closures take hold. The transition to next-generation propellants (HFA-152a) in respiratory health is viewed as a long-term growth catalyst, supported by recent FDA research collaborations and first-to-market approvals. Future capital allocation under incoming CEO Gael Touya will prioritize disciplined execution and resource allocation toward high-value therapeutic areas like biologics and systemic nasal delivery. Guidance for the third quarter assumes a Euro to US Dollar exchange rate of 1.14, representing a projected two-cent headwind compared to the second quarter average. The FDA's streamlined guidance for generic inhaled therapies is expected to accelerate market entry for generic PMDIs, benefiting Aptar's scientific expertise and data services. Higher input costs resulting from Middle East instability were largely offset by customer pass-throughs, though a timing lag in the Beauty segment impacted margins by approximately 80-90 basis points. The Ensorb active material science technology received US patent approval, addressing regulatory demands for reducing nitrosamine impurities in pharmaceutical packaging. A collaborative system framework for injectables was launched to provide customers with pre-validated performance data, reducing customer risk and accelerating development timelines. One stock. Nvidia-level potential. 30M+ investors trust Moby to find it first. Get the pick. Tap here. Management acknowledged falling short in North American operational performance and recent weakness in the Brazilian market due to customer-specific dynamics. The incoming CEO committed to a 'fresh view' and potential course corrections, though management declined to commit to specific structural actions or timelines for the Americas turnaround. Management reaffirmed the long-term core sales growth target of 7% to 11% for the Pharma segment, citing a robust pipeline in biologics and GLP-1 therapies. The current dip in Rx growth was characterized as a temporary 'story of emergency medicine' rather than a shift in underlying market demand. Resin pass-throughs were successfully implemented across all segments, with the most significant revenue impact seen in Closures due to higher resin intensity. The margin detriment in Beauty during Q2 was specifically linked to a lag in these pass-throughs, which is expected to be resolved in the third quarter.

AptarGroup (ATR) came out with quarterly earnings of $1.42 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.34 per share. This compares to earnings of $1.66 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items. This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +5.97%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this maker of consumer-product dispensing systems would post earnings of $1.15 per share when it actually produced earnings of $1.19, delivering a surprise of +3.48%. Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates four times. AptarGroup, which belongs to the Zacks Containers - Paper and Packaging industry, posted revenues of $1.03 billion for the quarter ended June 2026, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.32%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $966.01 million. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates four times over the last four quarters. The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call. AptarGroup shares have added about 11.7% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 6.9%. While AptarGroup has outperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock? There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately. Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions. Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for AptarGroup was mixed. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to perform in line with the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and the current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $1.40 on $994.91 million in revenues for the coming quarter and $5.41 on $3.94 billion in revenues for the current fiscal year. Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Containers - Paper and Packaging is currently in the bottom 19% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1. One other stock from the same industry, Graphic Packaging (GPK), is yet to report results for the quarter ended June 2026. The results are expected to be released on August 4. This packaging company is expected to post quarterly earnings of $0.11 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of -73.8%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 6.5% lower over the last 30 days to the current level. Graphic Packaging's revenues are expected to be $2.19 billion, down 0.6% from the year-ago quarter. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report AptarGroup, Inc. (ATR) : Free Stock Analysis Report Graphic Packaging Holding Company (GPK) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com). Zacks Investment Research

CRYSTAL LAKE, Ill., July 30, 2026--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AptarGroup, Inc. (NYSE:ATR), a global leader in drug delivery, dosing and protection technologies, and consumer product dispensing, today reported the following second quarter results for the period ended June 30, 2026, as compared to the corresponding period of the last fiscal year. Second Quarter 2026 Highlights (Compared to the prior year quarter; see Non-GAAP section for full definitions; see reconciliation for Non-GAAP measures) Reported sales increased 6% to over $1 billion for the first time, and core sales increased 1% Reported net income was $88 million and reported earnings per share were $1.36 Adjusted EBITDA margin was 20.7% compared to 22.6% in the prior year Adjusted earnings per share were $1.42 Returned $81 million in the quarter and $212 million year-to-date to shareholders through share repurchases and dividends "We were pleased to deliver revenue growth across all three segments during the quarter. Aptar Pharma continued to lead the way, driven by double-digit growth in consumer healthcare, and high single-digit growth in injectables and prescription, excluding emergency medicine. In Beauty, strong demand in prestige fragrance solutions supported growth, while Closures benefited from continued strength in beverage dispensing. While margins are currently impacted by product mix and operational factors, we remain confident in the company’s long-term margin structure, supported by strong demand trends across key Pharma franchises, continued momentum in Closures, and the actions underway to enhance operational performance. As I conclude my tenure as CEO at Aptar, I am pleased to hand the company over following a quarter that reflects solid performance, a strong balance sheet and an improving growth trajectory in the outlook. These results demonstrate the dedication of our teams, the strength of our innovation-led portfolio and our ability to create value for customers across attractive end markets," said Stephan B. Tanda, Aptar President and CEO. Second Quarter Results For the quarter ended June 30, 2026, reported sales increased 6% to $1.03 billion compared to $966 million in the prior year and core sales increased 1% compared to the prior year period. Pharma’s reported sales increased 4% compared to the prior year period, with a currency contribution of 2%. Excluding acquisitions, core sales increased 1%. Adjusting for emergency medicine destocking, Pharma delivered high single-digit core sales growth in the quarter. Performance was supported by continued growth across a number of prescription, consumer healthcare and injectable applications, including central nervous system, asthma and COPD therapies, nasal decongestants, eye care solutions, and demand related to biologics, GLP-1 therapies and vaccines. These growth drivers were partially offset by the anticipated reduction in emergency medicine sales and slightly lower sales within active material science solutions. Adjusted EBITDA margin was 33.6%, a decrease of 180 basis points, reflecting a short-term unfavorable product mix, while royalties and productivity improvements continued to positively impact margins. Beauty’s reported sales increased 10% when compared to the prior year period, driven by a 3% benefit from currency changes and a 6% contribution from acquisitions, with core sales growth of 1%. There was increased demand for prestige fragrance dispensing, color cosmetics, as well as hair care applications. Adjusted EBITDA margin was 12.2%, a decline of 190 basis points, primarily due to lower product volumes, unfavorable mix and the timing of resin pass throughs. Closures’ reported sales rose 7% from the prior year quarter and core sales grew 4%, with a 3% currency benefit. Beverage sales grew significantly, led by strong demand for bottled water and continued momentum from our latest dispensing closure innovation. Food sales were up year over year, however, lower tooling sales drove a decline in core sales. Adjusted EBITDA margin was 14.9%, a decline of 200 basis points, primarily due to temporary headwinds as a result of the ramp up of new production lines and previously reported maintenance. Reported second quarter earnings per share of $1.36 compared to $1.67 reported a year ago. Adjusted earnings per share were $1.42, compared to the prior year period’s adjusted earnings per share of $1.68, including comparable exchange rates. The second quarter reported effective tax rate was 23.5% and the adjusted effective tax rate was 23.7%, compared to the prior year period’s reported effective tax rate of 20.0% and adjusted effective tax rate of 20.0%. Six Months Year-to-Date Results For the six months ended June 30, 2026, reported sales increased 8% to $2.01 billion compared to $1.85 billion in the prior year and core sales increased 1%. For the six months ended June 30, 2026, Aptar’s reported earnings per share were $2.48, a decrease of 12%, compared to $2.83 reported a year ago. For the first six months of the year 2026, adjusted earnings per share were $2.61 and decreased 12% from prior year adjusted earnings per share of $2.98, including comparable exchange rates. The current year had a reported effective tax rate of 23.0% and an adjusted effective tax rate of 23.2% compared to the prior year reported and adjusted effective tax rates of 22.5% and 22.6%, respectively. Outlook Regarding Aptar’s outlook, Tanda stated, "In alignment with Gael Touya, who will assume the role of CEO on September 1, we enter the third quarter with confidence. We expect solid growth across all three segments. In Pharma, injectables and consumer healthcare should continue to perform well. Demand for prescription dispensing systems, excluding emergency medicine, remains strong, and as previously discussed we anticipate the headwind of emergency medicine destocking to abate by the fourth quarter. We believe Beauty will see growth in key areas, such as in the fragrance and facial skin care end market. In Closures, we anticipate demand to remain strong and operational performance continues to improve. Supported by our innovation pipeline and strong market positions, these trends support our outlook for the third quarter." Aptar currently expects adjusted earnings per share for the third quarter of 2026 to be in the range of $1.45 to $1.53. This guidance assumes an effective tax rate range of 22.5% to 24.5%. The earnings per share guidance range is assuming a 1.14 Euro to USD exchange rate. Cash Dividends and Share Repurchases As previously announced, Aptar’s Board of Directors approved a quarterly cash dividend of $0.48 per share. The payment date is August 20, 2026, to stockholders of record as of July 30, 2026. During the second quarter, Aptar repurchased 403 thousand shares for $50 million. Aptar may repurchase shares through the open market, privately negotiated transactions or other programs, subject to market conditions. Open Conference Call There will be a conference call held on Friday, July 31, 2026 at 8:00 a.m. Central Time to discuss the company’s second quarter results for 2026. The call will last approximately one hour. Interested parties are invited to listen to a live webcast by visiting the Investor Relations website at investors.aptar.com. Replay of the conference call can also be accessed for a limited time on the Investor Relations page of the website. About Aptar Aptar is a global leader in drug delivery, dosing and protection technologies, and consumer product dispensing. Aptar partners with the world’s top healthcare and consumer brands to deliver medicines and create exceptional user experiences. Serving diverse markets, from pharmaceutical to beauty to food and beverage, Aptar combines market expertise with proprietary design, engineering and science to develop innovative solutions that help improve lives worldwide. Headquartered in Crystal Lake, Illinois, Aptar employs 14,000 dedicated people across 20 countries. Learn more at http://www.aptar.com. Presentation of Non-GAAP Information This press release refers to certain non-GAAP financial measures, including current year adjusted earnings per share and adjusted EBITDA, which exclude the impact of restructuring initiatives, acquisition-related costs, certain purchase accounting adjustments related to acquisitions and investments and net unrealized investment gains and losses related to observable market price changes on equity securities, and other special items. Core sales and adjusted earnings per share also neutralize the impact of foreign currency translation effects when comparing current results to the prior year. Adjusted EBITDA is defined as earnings before net interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization, restructuring initiatives, acquisition-related costs, net unrealized investment gains and losses related to observable market price changes on equity securities and other special items. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2026, "Other special items" include costs incurred related to non-ordinary-course litigation, specifically: lawsuits between Aptar and ARS Pharmaceuticals, Inc., involving Aptar’s claims of trade-secret misappropriation and contractual breaches and ARS’s lawsuit against Aptar under U.S. antitrust laws; and patent infringement actions filed by Nemera La Verpillière SAS in Germany and France relating to certain of Aptar’s ophthalmic products. These costs are excluded because they do not reflect our core operating performance. Please refer to "Legal Proceedings" within Note 13 - Commitments and Contingencies within Aptar’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025 and subsequent SEC filings for more information. Adjusted EBITDA margin is adjusted EBITDA divided by reported net sales. Non-GAAP financial measures may not be comparable to similarly titled non-GAAP financial measures provided by other companies. Aptar’s management believes these non-GAAP financial measures provide useful information to our investors because they allow for a better period over period comparison of operating results by removing the impact of items that, in management’s view, do not reflect Aptar’s core operating performance. These non-GAAP financial measures also provide investors with certain information used by Aptar’s management when making financial and operational decisions. Free cash flow is calculated as cash provided by operating activities less capital expenditures plus proceeds from government grants related to capital expenditures. We believe that it is meaningful to investors in evaluating our financial performance and measuring our ability to generate cash internally to fund our initiatives. These non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for GAAP financial results but should be read in conjunction with the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of income and other information presented herein. A reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measures is included in the accompanying tables. Our outlook is provided on a non-GAAP basis because certain reconciling items are dependent on future events that either cannot be controlled, such as exchange rates and changes in the fair value of equity investments, or reliably predicted because they are not part of the company's routine activities, such as restructuring, acquisition costs and other special items. This press release contains forward-looking statements, including certain statements set forth under the "Outlook" section of this press release. Words such as "expects," "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "future," "potential," "continues" and other similar expressions or future or conditional verbs such as "will," "should," "would" and "could" are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and are based on our beliefs as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to us. Accordingly, our actual results or other events may differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements due to known or unknown risks and uncertainties that exist in our operations and business environment including, but not limited to: geopolitical conflicts worldwide and the resulting indirect impact on demand from our customers selling their products into these countries, as well as rising input costs and certain supply chain disruptions; cybersecurity threats against our systems and/or service providers that could impact our networks and reporting systems; the availability of raw materials and components (particularly from sole sourced suppliers for some of our Pharma solutions) as well as the financial viability of these suppliers; our ability to protect and defend our intellectual property rights, as well as litigation involving intellectual property rights; the outcome of any legal proceeding that has been or may be instituted against us and others; our ability to keep pace with competition and technological advances, including in connection with the shifting of Pharma origination to less regulated markets; lower demand and asset utilization due to an economic recession either globally or in key markets we operate within; economic conditions worldwide, including inflationary conditions and potential deflationary conditions in other regions we rely on for growth; significant tariffs and other restrictions on foreign imports imposed by the U.S. and related countermeasures taken by impacted foreign countries; our ability to successfully implement facility expansions and new facility projects; fluctuations in the cost of materials, components, transportation cost as a result of supply chain disruptions and labor shortages, and other input costs; significant fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates or our effective tax rate; the impact of tax reform legislation, changes in tax rates and other tax-related events or transactions that could impact our effective tax rate; financial conditions of customers and suppliers; consolidations within our customer or supplier bases; changes in customer and/or consumer spending levels; loss of one or more key accounts; our ability to offset inflationary impacts with cost containment, productivity initiatives and price increases; changes in capital availability or cost, including rising interest rates; loss of royalty revenue due to contract expirations; volatility of global credit markets; our ability to identify potential new acquisitions and to successfully acquire and integrate such operations, including the successful integration of the businesses we have acquired; our ability to build out acquired businesses and integrate the product/service offerings of the acquired entities into our existing product/service portfolio; direct or indirect consequences of acts of war, terrorism or social unrest; the impact of natural disasters and other weather-related occurrences; fiscal and monetary policies and other regulations; changes, difficulties or failures in complying with government regulation, including FDA or similar foreign governmental authorities; changing regulations or market conditions regarding environmental sustainability; our ability to retain key members of management and manage labor costs; work stoppages due to labor disputes; our ability to meet future cash flow estimates to support our goodwill impairment testing; the demand for existing and new products; the success of our customers’ products, particularly in the pharmaceutical industry; our ability to manage worldwide customer launches of complex technical products, particularly in developing markets; difficulties in product development and uncertainties related to the timing or outcome of product development; significant product liability claims; and other risks associated with our operations. For additional information on these and other risks and uncertainties, please see our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the discussion under "Risk Factors" and "Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in our Form 10-K and Form 10-Qs. We undertake no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260730133160/en/ Contacts Investor Relations Contact: Mary [email protected] 815-479-5530 Media Contact: Katie [email protected] 815-479-5671

Sonoco Products Company SON reported adjusted earnings of $1.51 per share in the second quarter of 2026, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.47 by 2.72%. The figure rose 10.2% from $1.37 in the year-ago quarter. Pricing actions, favorable foreign-exchange movements and productivity gains helped offset softer volume/mix during the quarter.Including one-time items, the company reported earnings of $1.05 per share from continuing operations compared with 69 cents in the year-ago quarter. Including discontinued operations, second-quarter 2026 earnings were $1.05 compared with $4.96 in the year-ago quarter. Sonoco Products Company price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Sonoco Products Company Quote Net sales of $1.885 billion declined 1.3% year over year and missed the consensus mark of $1.886 billion by 0.05%. SON’s top line declined from the prior-year period primarily due to the absence of sales from the ThermoSafe business, which was divested in November 2025. The profitability performance program delivered $10 million in savings during the quarter. Annualized savings reached approximately $38 million, representing 25% of the minimum target under Sonoco’s three-year goal of $150-$200 million. The cost of sales was $1.49 billion, down 0.7% from the year-earlier quarter. Gross profit totaled $392 million, declining 3.4% year over year. The gross margin was 20.8% compared with 21.3% in the prior-year quarter.Selling, general and administrative expenses amounted to $200 million, down 8.5% year over year.Adjusted operating income was $242 million, down 1.8% from the prior-year quarter’s $246.9 million. The adjusted operating margin was 12.9%, broadly unchanged year over year.Adjusted EBITDA was $324 million, down 1.2% from the year-ago quarter. The Consumer Packaging segment’s net sales rose 1.2% year over year to $1.24 billion. The increase reflected pricing actions to offset inflation and tariff-related costs, along with favorable foreign-currency movements, partially offset by softer volumes. The segment’s adjusted EBITDA amounted to $206.7 million, down 3.1% from the prior-year quarter.Net sales in the Industrial Paper Packaging segment were $643.6 million, reflecting year-over-year growth of 4.2%. The increase was driven by successful pricing actions and favorable foreign exchange. Adjusted segment EBITDA totaled $122.2 million, up 2.9% year over year, as productivity and procurement savings helped offset higher raw-material, freight and other operating costs. The operating cash flow reached a second-quarter record of $301 million, up 56% year over year. The free cash flow climbed 139% to $237 million, reflecting disciplined working-capital management and a capital expenditure of $64 million.Cash and cash equivalents were $168.6 million at the quarter-end, down from $378.4 million at the end of the prior-year quarter. Total debt and net debt stood at $4.5 billion and $4.3 billion, respectively, while available liquidity totaled $1.3 billion. Sonoco maintained its 2026 net sales guidance of $7.25-$7.75 billion and the adjusted EBITDA outlook of $1.25-$1.35 billion. The company also reiterated its operating cash flow forecast of $700-$800 million.Adjusted earnings guidance is pegged at $5.80-$6.20 per share, with the company continuing to expect results near the low end. Pricing actions, contract resets and productivity initiatives are expected to improve margins in the second half, although inflation and macroeconomic uncertainty remain the key risks. The company’s shares have gained 21.2% in the past year against the industry’s 5.3% decline. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Sonoco currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Ball Corporation BALL is scheduled to release second-quarter 2026 results on Aug. 4. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for BALL’s second-quarter 2026 earnings is pegged at 99 cents per share, suggesting year-over-year growth of 10%.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Ball Corp’s top line is pegged at $3.67 billion, indicating growth of 9.8% from the prior-year reported figure. Ball Corp has a trailing four-quarter average surprise of 3.7%.Silgan Holdings Inc. SLGN is scheduled to release second-quarter 2026 results on July 29. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for SLGN’s second-quarter 2026 earnings is pegged at 96 cents per share, implying a year-over-year dip of 4.9%.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Silgan Holdings’ top line is pegged at $1.62 billion, suggesting an increase of 5.1% from the prior-year reported figure. Silgan Holdings has a trailing four-quarter average surprise of 1.8%.AptarGroup, Inc. ATR is scheduled to release second-quarter 2026 results on July 30. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AptarGroup’s second-quarter 2026 earnings is pegged at $1.34 per share, indicating a year-over-year dip of 19.3%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s top line is pegged at $1 billion, implying growth of 3.8% from the prior-year reported figure. ATR has a trailing four-quarter average surprise of 3.1%. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Sonoco Products Company (SON) : Free Stock Analysis Report Silgan Holdings Inc. (SLGN) : Free Stock Analysis Report AptarGroup, Inc. (ATR) : Free Stock Analysis Report Ball Corporation (BALL) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com). Zacks Investment Research

Wall Street expects a year-over-year decline in earnings on higher revenues when AptarGroup (ATR) reports results for the quarter ended June 2026. While this widely-known consensus outlook is important in gauging the company's earnings picture, a powerful factor that could impact its near-term stock price is how the actual results compare to these estimates. The earnings report, which is expected to be released on July 30, might help the stock move higher if these key numbers are better than expectations. On the other hand, if they miss, the stock may move lower. While the sustainability of the immediate price change and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's discussion of business conditions on the earnings call, it's worth handicapping the probability of a positive EPS surprise. This maker of consumer-product dispensing systems is expected to post quarterly earnings of $1.34 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of -19.3%. Revenues are expected to be $1 billion, up 3.9% from the year-ago quarter. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 0.47% lower over the last 30 days to the current level. This is essentially a reflection of how the covering analysts have collectively reassessed their initial estimates over this period. Investors should keep in mind that an aggregate change may not always reflect the direction of estimate revisions by each of the covering analysts. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise Estimate revisions ahead of a company's earnings release offer clues to the business conditions for the period whose results are coming out. This insight is at the core of our proprietary surprise prediction model -- the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction). The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a more recent version of the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier. Thus, a positive or negative Earnings ESP reading theoretically indicates the likely deviation of the actual earnings from the consensus estimate. However, the model's predictive power is significant for positive ESP readings only. A positive Earnings ESP is a strong predictor of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). Our research shows that stocks with this combination produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time, and a solid Zacks Rank actually increases the predictive power of Earnings ESP. Please note that a negative Earnings ESP reading is not indicative of an earnings miss. Our research shows that it is difficult to predict an earnings beat with any degree of confidence for stocks with negative Earnings ESP readings and/or Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) or 5 (Strong Sell). For AptarGroup, the Most Accurate Estimate is higher than the Zacks Consensus Estimate, suggesting that analysts have recently become bullish on the company's earnings prospects. This has resulted in an Earnings ESP of +0.56%. On the other hand, the stock currently carries a Zacks Rank of #3. So, this combination indicates that AptarGroup will most likely beat the consensus EPS estimate. While calculating estimates for a company's future earnings, analysts often consider to what extent it has been able to match past consensus estimates. So, it's worth taking a look at the surprise history for gauging its influence on the upcoming number. For the last reported quarter, it was expected that AptarGroup would post earnings of $1.15 per share when it actually produced earnings of $1.19, delivering a surprise of +3.48%. Over the last four quarters, the company has beaten consensus EPS estimates four times. An earnings beat or miss may not be the sole basis for a stock moving higher or lower. Many stocks end up losing ground despite an earnings beat due to other factors that disappoint investors. Similarly, unforeseen catalysts help a number of stocks gain despite an earnings miss. That said, betting on stocks that are expected to beat earnings expectations does increase the odds of success. This is why it's worth checking a company's Earnings ESP and Zacks Rank ahead of its quarterly release. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported. AptarGroup appears a compelling earnings-beat candidate. However, investors should pay attention to other factors too for betting on this stock or staying away from it ahead of its earnings release. Stay on top of upcoming earnings announcements with the Zacks Earnings Calendar. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report AptarGroup, Inc. (ATR) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com). Zacks Investment Research

Packaging Corporation of America PKG reported second-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings of $2.35 per share, down 5.2% year over year but beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.31. The bottom line also came above the company’s guidance of $2.33, driven by higher production and sales volumes, including contributions from the acquired Greif Inc. (GEF) business. This was partially offset by lower price and mix in the packaging segment, and higher operating, freight and labor costs.Including special items related to facility closures, the Wallula mill restructuring and acquisition and integration costs, earnings in the quarter were $2.15 per share compared with the prior-year quarter’s $2.67. Packaging Corporation of America price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Packaging Corporation of America Quote Sales increased 14.7% year over year to $2.49 billion and surpassed the consensus estimate of $2.40 billion by 3.6%. Total corrugated products shipments reached an all-time quarterly record, rising 24.3% both per day and in total from the prior-year quarter.Gross profit increased 6.1% year over year to $512.5 million. However, the gross margin contracted to 20.6% from 22.2% as the cost of sales rose 17.1% to $1.98 billion. Selling, general and administrative expenses increased 17% to $179 million.Adjusted operating income improved 1.4% year over year to $315 million. Adjusted EBITDA advanced 7.7% to $486 million, reflecting higher production and sales volumes in packaging and stronger paper segment results. Packaging: Sales in this segment increased 15.2% year over year to $2.31 billion, aided by higher production and sales volume, including contributions from the acquired Greif business. The figure beat our estimate of $2.14 billion. These gains were partly offset by unfavorable price and mix, along with higher labor, freight and operating costs.Shipments per day at legacy corrugated products plants increased 4.1%. Containerboard production was 1,415,000 tons, while containerboard inventory increased 40,000 tons from the year-ago quarter due to the acquisition.Adjusted operating profit was $328 million compared with $322 million in the prior-year quarter. Our model projected the segment’s adjusted operating income to be $313 million.  Paper: The segment’s revenues were $157 million in the April-June quarter, up 7.9% year over year. Our model projected the segment’s adjusted operating income to be $154 million. Sales volume increased 6.3% from the second quarter of 2025. The segment reported an operating profit of $34.3 million compared with the year-ago quarter’s $25.8 million. The improvement was supported by higher sales volume and favorable price and mix. Our projection for the segment’s adjusted operating income was $32 million. PKG ended the quarter with $666.8 million in cash, cash equivalents and marketable debt securities, down from $955.9 million a year earlier. Capital spending increased to $205.9 million from $169.7 million.For the first six months of 2026, capital expenditure totaled $370.6 million compared with $317.8 million in the prior-year period. The company expects third-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings of $2.91 per share. The outlook assumes continued strong packaging demand, another sequential increase in corrugated products volume, and benefits from previously announced containerboard and corrugated product price increases.PKG expects better operating performance across its containerboard mill system, although scheduled maintenance expenses will shift toward the paper segment. Freight costs and recycled fiber prices are expected to remain elevated, while higher mill production should increase chemical and electricity usage. PKG also anticipates lower paper volume but improved pricing and mix. The company’s shares have gained 13.5% in the past year against the industry’s decline of 5.6%. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Packaging Corp currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Ball Corporation BALL is scheduled to release second-quarter 2026 results on Aug. 4. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for BALL’s second-quarter 2026 earnings is pegged at 99 cents per share, suggesting year-over-year growth of 10%.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Ball Corp’s top line is pegged at $3.67 billion, indicating growth of 9.8% from the prior-year reported figure. Ball Corp has a trailing four-quarter average surprise of 3.7%.Silgan Holdings Inc. SLGN is scheduled to release second-quarter 2026 results on July 29. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for SLGN’s second-quarter 2026 earnings is pegged at 96 cents per share, implying a year-over-year dip of 4.9%.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Silgan Holdings’ top line is pegged at $1.62 billion, suggesting an increase of 5.1% from the prior-year reported figure. Silgan Holdings has a trailing four-quarter average surprise of 1.8%.AptarGroup, Inc. ATR is scheduled to release second-quarter 2026 results on July 30. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AptarGroup’s second-quarter 2026 earnings is pegged at $1.34 per share, indicating a year-over-year dip of 19.3%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s top line is pegged at $1 billion, implying growth of 3.8% from the prior-year reported figure. ATR has a trailing four-quarter average surprise of 3.1%. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Packaging Corporation of America (PKG) : Free Stock Analysis Report Silgan Holdings Inc. (SLGN) : Free Stock Analysis Report AptarGroup, Inc. (ATR) : Free Stock Analysis Report Ball Corporation (BALL) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com). Zacks Investment Research