SON

What does Sonoco Products Company do?

Sonoco Products manufactures industrial and consumer packaging across two segments. Its Consumer Packaging segment produces rigid paper containers, closures, and flexible packaging, while its Industrial Paper Packaging segment supplies fiber-based tubes, cores, and recycled paperboard. The company serves markets including food, paper, textile, chemical, and construction globally.

Does SON pay dividends?

Yes, Sonoco Products pays a regular dividend. The company has maintained dividend payments as part of its capital-return strategy, reflecting its long operating history as a mature packaging manufacturer. Income-focused investors often consider SON for this reason, though dividend sustainability should always be evaluated alongside the company's financial health.

When does SON report earnings?

Sonoco Products reports earnings on a quarterly cadence, consistent with standard practice for US-listed companies. For confirmed dates and the most recent results, check Sonoco's official investor relations page, as specific dates can shift and are not covered by our data source.

Is SON a good stock to buy?

UQS Score rates SON as Below Average overall. The Growth and Valuation pillars are relative positives, while the Moat and Risk pillars are rated Weak. Whether SON fits a portfolio depends on individual risk tolerance and investment goals. The full pillar breakdown is available to UQS Pro members.

Is SON overvalued?

The UQS Valuation pillar for SON is rated Attractive, suggesting the stock does not appear expensive relative to its fundamentals at current levels. However, valuation alone does not determine investment quality — the Weak Moat and Risk ratings are important context. Pro members can view the complete valuation metrics behind this rating.

How does SON compare to its competitors?

Sonoco operates alongside peers such as Sealed Air, Reynolds Consumer Products, and Silgan Holdings. Each competitor has a distinct product focus — from protective materials to household brands to rigid containers — while Sonoco differentiates through its broad fiber-based and consumer packaging portfolio. UQS Score comparisons across these tickers are available on each company's page.

What is SON's market cap bracket?

Sonoco Products is classified as a mid-cap company. This places it in a segment of the market that typically balances growth potential with operational scale, though mid-cap stocks can carry more volatility than large-cap peers in cyclical sectors like packaging.

Who founded Sonoco Products Company?

Sonoco Products was founded in 1899 in Hartsville, South Carolina, originally as the Southern Novelty Company. The company's founding history and leadership evolution are publicly documented and available through Sonoco's corporate history resources.

Is SON a long-term quality stock?

From a long-term quality perspective, SON's UQS Score of Below Average reflects meaningful concerns — particularly the Weak Moat and Risk pillars — that could weigh on sustained value creation. The Good Growth and Attractive Valuation ratings offer some offset. Long-term quality indicators are best evaluated using the full five-pillar breakdown available to Pro members.

What is the main competitive advantage of Sonoco Products?

Sonoco's breadth across both consumer and industrial packaging, combined with its long operating history and global manufacturing footprint, provides scale advantages. However, the UQS Moat pillar is rated Weak, suggesting these advantages may not translate into strong pricing power or barriers to entry relative to sector peers.

What sector does SON belong to?

Sonoco Products is classified under the Consumer Cyclical sector. As a packaging manufacturer, its business is tied to broader economic activity — particularly in food, industrial, and consumer goods markets — meaning results can fluctuate with demand cycles and raw material cost environments.

Sonoco Products Company has average quality metrics, with room for improvement in margins or capital efficiency.

Sonoco Products Company demonstrates healthy growth trends across revenue and earnings.

Sonoco Products Company presents elevated risk with concerns around leverage or financial stability.

Sonoco Products Company appears attractively valued relative to its earnings, cash flows, and sector peers.

Sonoco Products Company operates in a highly competitive environment with limited sustainable advantages. The Moat pillar evaluates competitive advantages across five dimensions: Switching Costs, Network Effects, Cost Advantage, Intangible Assets, and Scale & Ecosystem. Sign in to customize moat ratings for SON.

The UQS (Unified Quality Score) for Sonoco Products Company is calculated using a proprietary 6-pillar framework with 29 financial metrics. Each pillar evaluates a different dimension on a 0–100 scale, then combines into a single weighted score. Scoring thresholds are calibrated per sector. Momentum is an optional Pro toggle — without it, you get the 5-pillar / 25-metric core shown below.

Quality (25%) measures profitability and capital efficiency — ROIC, ROE, margins, GP/Assets, and FCF Yield.

Moat (25%) assesses Sonoco Products Company's competitive advantages across switching costs, network effects, cost advantages, intangible assets, and ecosystem scale.

Growth (20%) tracks revenue trajectory and earnings momentum, combining historical results with analyst forward estimates.

Risk (15%) is inversely scored — lower leverage and strong balance sheet health result in higher scores.

Valuation (15%) measures whether Sonoco Products Company is fairly priced using earnings yield, price-to-FCF, PEG ratio, and EV/EBITDA relative to sector peers.

Six investor-inspired presets are available, each with different pillar weights: Balanced, Buffett, Munger, Lynch, Cathie Wood, and Graham. The public score shown here uses the Balanced preset. Learn more in our FAQ.