SON
Sonoco Products Company Materials - Packaging Investor Relations →
Sonoco Products Company (SON) closed at $50.67 as of 2026-03-20, trading 3.0% above its 200-week moving average of $49.22. The stock is currently moving closer to the line, down from 8.4% last week. With a 14-week RSI of 71, SON is in overbought territory.
Trading volume is running at 1.2x of its 14-week average, which is in the normal range. The balance between buying and selling volume (1.08 ratio) is neutral — neither side is clearly dominating.
Over the past 2352 weeks of data, SON has crossed below its 200-week moving average 26 times. On average, these episodes lasted 14 weeks. Historically, investors who bought SON at the start of these episodes saw an average one-year return of +13.0%.
With a market cap of $5.0 billion, SON is a mid-cap stock. The company generates a free cash flow yield of 20.0%, which is notably high. Return on equity stands at 20.0%, indicating strong profitability. The stock trades at 1.4x book value.
Over the past 33.2 years, a hypothetical investment of $100 in SON would have grown to $718, compared to $2683 for the S&P 500. SON has returned 6.1% annualized vs 10.4% for the index, underperforming the broader market over this period.
In the past 12 months, corporate insiders have made 5 open-market purchases totaling $2,054,092. Multiple insiders purchased within a 30-day window — a cluster buy pattern that historically signals management confidence in the company's prospects.
Free cash flow has been volatile over the past several years, making the quality of earnings harder to assess.
Business Health
Annual financials — how the underlying business has performed over the past several years.
Cash Flow Free cash flow & net income ($M)
Revenue Annual revenue ($M) — business growth proxy
Total Debt Balance sheet debt ($M)
ROIC Return on invested capital (%)
FCF Yield Free cash flow / market cap (%) — Yartseva signal
Gross Margin Pricing power & competitive moat (%)
Shares Outstanding Buybacks vs dilution (millions)
Growth of $100: SON vs S&P 500
Monthly data normalized to $100 at start. Vertical dashed lines mark 200-week MA touches.
What Happens After SON Crosses Below the Line?
Across 24 historical episodes, buying SON when it crossed below its 200-week moving average produced an average return of +3.1% after 12 months (median +3.0%), compared to +16.1% for the S&P 500 over the same periods. 50% of those episodes were profitable after one year. After 24 months, the average return was +9.0% vs +21.7% for the index.
Each line shows $100 invested at the moment SON crossed below its 200-week MA. Bold blue = stock average. Gray dashed = S&P 500 average over same periods.
Historical Touches
SON has crossed below its 200-week MA 26 times with an average 1-year return of +13.0% after recovery.
| Crossed Below | Recovered | Weeks | Max Depth | 1-Year Return | Return Since Touch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 1982 | Jun 1982 | 1 | 1.2% | +70.2% | +6847.6% |
| Aug 1990 | Dec 1990 | 17 | 13.8% | +19.6% | +1138.3% |
| Nov 1991 | Dec 1991 | 1 | 0.9% | +50.6% | +1011.4% |
| Dec 1991 | Dec 1991 | 1 | 7.7% | +69.2% | +1087.4% |
| Aug 1998 | Oct 1998 | 6 | 9.7% | +4.0% | +422.7% |
| Dec 1998 | Dec 1998 | 1 | 1.8% | -12.6% | +406.8% |
| Feb 1999 | May 1999 | 12 | 13.0% | -18.0% | +397.0% |
| May 1999 | May 1999 | 1 | 4.3% | -14.2% | +406.0% |
| Aug 1999 | May 2001 | 93 | 32.1% | -23.3% | +383.1% |
| Sep 2001 | Oct 2001 | 2 | 12.6% | +8.1% | +468.8% |
| Sep 2002 | Oct 2002 | 5 | 6.9% | +9.4% | +414.5% |
| Jan 2003 | May 2003 | 17 | 8.5% | +12.0% | +419.9% |
| Oct 2003 | Nov 2003 | 5 | 4.0% | +32.3% | +428.0% |
| Nov 2007 | Nov 2007 | 1 | 0.7% | -21.3% | +227.0% |
| Jan 2008 | Apr 2008 | 13 | 10.3% | -15.2% | +232.6% |
| Sep 2008 | Nov 2009 | 61 | 40.3% | +0.2% | +237.3% |
| Jan 2010 | Feb 2010 | 2 | 5.7% | +33.1% | +216.0% |
| Feb 2020 | May 2020 | 13 | 17.8% | +27.8% | +31.6% |
| Jun 2020 | Jun 2020 | 3 | 2.9% | +39.6% | +25.4% |
| Sep 2020 | Sep 2020 | 1 | 2.0% | +23.5% | +23.0% |
| Oct 2020 | Nov 2020 | 1 | 4.9% | +22.0% | +26.5% |
| Jun 2022 | Jun 2022 | 1 | 5.3% | +20.2% | +12.6% |
| Mar 2023 | Mar 2023 | 1 | 2.5% | +9.2% | +5.9% |
| Sep 2023 | Nov 2023 | 10 | 8.2% | +4.2% | +2.6% |
| Dec 2023 | Dec 2023 | 1 | 0.5% | -2.3% | +2.3% |
| Jun 2024 | Feb 2026 | 84 | 22.1% | -9.7% | +8.0% |
| Average | 14 | — | +13.0% | — |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is SON below its 200-week moving average?
No. Sonoco Products Company (SON) is currently 3.0% above its 200-week moving average of $49.22. It would need to fall to $49.22 to cross below the line.
What is SON's 200-week moving average price?
Sonoco Products Company's 200-week moving average is $49.22 as of 2026-03-20. This is the average weekly closing price over roughly the last 4 years, and it acts as a long-term trend line. When a stock drops below this level, it can signal that the price has fallen far enough from the long-term trend to attract value-oriented investors.
What happens when SON drops below its 200-week moving average?
SON has crossed below its 200-week moving average 26 times in our data. On average, buying at that moment produced a one-year return of +13.0%. These dips have historically been decent entry points. These episodes lasted 14 weeks on average.
Is SON a good value right now?
Here's what our data says about SON as of 2026-03-20: The stock is above its 200-week moving average, so it doesn't currently meet our primary signal. The 14-week RSI is 71 (overbought). Free cash flow yield is 20.0%. Return on equity is 20.0%. Price-to-book is 1.4x. This is not a buy or sell recommendation — always do your own research.
How does SON compare to the S&P 500?
Over the past 33.2 years, $100 invested in SON would have grown to $718, compared to $2683 for the S&P 500. That's 6.1% annualized vs 10.4% for the index. SON has underperformed the broader market over this period.
Does SON pay a dividend?
Yes. Sonoco Products Company currently pays a dividend yield of 418.00%.
Not financial advice. This is an educational tool. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Do your own research before making investment decisions.
Data as of week of 2026-03-20