Sonoco Q2 2026 Earnings Overview
Sonoco Products Company (NYSE: SON) posted second‑quarter adjusted earnings per share of $1.51, beating the consensus estimate of $1.49. Revenue for the quarter was $1.89 billion, marginally above the $1.88 billion consensus, even though total revenue declined 1.3% year‑over‑year, primarily because the ThermoSafe business was divested in November 2025.
Adjusted net income increased 10.6% year‑over‑year to $151 million. The Industrial Paper Packaging segment delivered an operating profit increase of 4%, driven by productivity gains that offset price and cost pressures. In North America, uncoated recycled paperboard trade‑ton sales volume grew 6%, lifting mill utilization to 95%. The Consumer Packaging segment saw operating profit fall roughly 5% versus the prior year, but it improved 22% sequentially from the first quarter.
Chief Executive Howard Coker said the results reflected solid productivity and cost‑control initiatives that mitigated global inflation pressures from higher logistics, chemicals, resins, and other raw‑material costs. Chief Financial Officer Paul Joachimczyk highlighted that operating cash flow for the quarter reached a record $301 million, a 56% increase year‑over‑year. He noted that year‑to‑date operating cash flow includes approximately $103 million of one‑time tax payments linked to gains from the 2025 divestitures.
For fiscal 2026, Sonoco reaffirmed its adjusted EPS guidance of $5.80 to $6.20, with a midpoint of $6.00, which is below the analyst consensus of $5.83. The company also maintained its revenue guidance of $7.25 billion to $7.75 billion, with a midpoint of $7.50 billion, slightly above the consensus estimate of $7.447 billion.