SON
Sonoco Products Company Materials - Packaging Investor Relations →
Sonoco Products Company (SON) closed at $50.06 as of 2026-05-01, trading 1.5% above its 200-week moving average of $49.34. The stock moved further from the line this week, up from -1.8% last week. The 14-week RSI sits at 53, indicating neutral momentum.
Trading volume is running at 1.5x of its 14-week average, which is in the normal range. The balance between buying and selling volume (0.80 ratio) is neutral — neither side is clearly dominating.
Over the past 2358 weeks of data, SON has crossed below its 200-week moving average 27 times. On average, these episodes lasted 13 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 $4.9 billion, SON is a mid-cap stock. The company generates a free cash flow yield of 16.7%, which is notably high. Return on equity stands at 20.1%, indicating strong profitability. The stock trades at 1.4x book value.
Over the past 33.3 years, a hypothetical investment of $100 in SON would have grown to $710, compared to $2973 for the S&P 500. SON has returned 6.1% annualized vs 10.7% for the index, underperforming the broader market over this period.
In the past 12 months, corporate insiders have made 4 open-market purchases totaling $1,649,841.
Free cash flow has been volatile over the past several years, making the quality of earnings harder to assess.
Business Health
Annual financials — how the underlying business has performed over the past several years.
Cash Flow Free cash flow & net income ($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 27 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% | +6764.0% |
| Aug 1990 | Dec 1990 | 17 | 13.8% | +19.6% | +1123.4% |
| Nov 1991 | Dec 1991 | 1 | 0.9% | +50.6% | +998.1% |
| Dec 1991 | Dec 1991 | 1 | 7.7% | +69.2% | +1073.1% |
| Aug 1998 | Oct 1998 | 6 | 9.7% | +4.0% | +416.5% |
| Dec 1998 | Dec 1998 | 1 | 1.8% | -12.6% | +400.7% |
| Feb 1999 | May 1999 | 12 | 13.0% | -18.0% | +391.0% |
| May 1999 | May 1999 | 1 | 4.3% | -14.2% | +400.0% |
| Aug 1999 | May 2001 | 93 | 32.1% | -23.3% | +377.3% |
| Sep 2001 | Oct 2001 | 2 | 12.6% | +8.1% | +461.9% |
| Sep 2002 | Oct 2002 | 5 | 6.9% | +9.4% | +408.3% |
| Jan 2003 | May 2003 | 17 | 8.5% | +12.0% | +413.6% |
| Oct 2003 | Nov 2003 | 5 | 4.0% | +32.3% | +421.6% |
| Nov 2007 | Nov 2007 | 1 | 0.7% | -21.3% | +223.1% |
| Jan 2008 | Apr 2008 | 13 | 10.3% | -15.2% | +228.6% |
| Sep 2008 | Nov 2009 | 61 | 40.3% | +0.2% | +233.3% |
| Jan 2010 | Feb 2010 | 2 | 5.7% | +33.1% | +212.2% |
| Feb 2020 | May 2020 | 13 | 17.8% | +27.8% | +30.0% |
| Jun 2020 | Jun 2020 | 3 | 2.9% | +39.6% | +23.8% |
| Sep 2020 | Sep 2020 | 1 | 2.0% | +23.5% | +21.5% |
| Oct 2020 | Nov 2020 | 1 | 4.9% | +22.0% | +25.0% |
| Jun 2022 | Jun 2022 | 1 | 5.3% | +20.2% | +11.2% |
| Mar 2023 | Mar 2023 | 1 | 2.5% | +9.2% | +4.6% |
| Sep 2023 | Nov 2023 | 10 | 8.2% | +4.2% | +1.4% |
| Dec 2023 | Dec 2023 | 1 | 0.5% | -2.3% | +1.1% |
| Jun 2024 | Feb 2026 | 84 | 22.1% | -9.7% | +6.7% |
| Apr 2026 | Ongoing | 2+ | 1.8% | Ongoing | +3.3% |
| Average | 13 | — | +13.0% | — |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is SON below its 200-week moving average?
No. Sonoco Products Company (SON) is currently 1.5% above its 200-week moving average of $49.34. It would need to fall to $49.34 to cross below the line.
What is SON's 200-week moving average price?
Sonoco Products Company's 200-week moving average is $49.34 as of 2026-05-01. 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 27 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 13 weeks on average.
Is SON a good value right now?
Here's what our data says about SON as of 2026-05-01: The stock is above its 200-week moving average, so it doesn't currently meet our primary signal. The 14-week RSI is 53. Free cash flow yield is 16.7%. Return on equity is 20.1%. 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 33.3 years, $100 invested in SON would have grown to $710, compared to $2973 for the S&P 500. That's 6.1% annualized vs 10.7% 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 425.00%.
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 2026-05-01