A month has gone by since the last earnings report for Crown Holdings (CCK). Shares have lost about 4.6% in that time frame, underperforming the S&P 500.
But investors have to be wondering, will the recent negative trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is Crown due for a breakout? Well, first let's take a quick look at its latest earnings report in order to get a better handle on the recent catalysts for Crown Holdings, Inc. before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late.
Crown Holdings Q2 Earnings & Revenues Beat Estimates, '25 View Raised
Crown Holdings reported second-quarter 2025 adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $2.15, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.86. The bottom line exceeded the company’s EPS guidance of $1.80-$1.90. It improved 19% year over year.
Including one-time items, the company reported earnings of $1.56 per share in the quarter under review compared with $1.45 in second-quarter 2024.
Net sales totaled $3.15 billion, up 3.6% from the year-ago quarter. The top line beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.14 billion. The upside was driven by strong performance in Americas Beverage, European Beverage and the North American Tinplate businesses.
Crown Holdings’ Q2 Margins Up Y/Y
The cost of products sold rose 2.4% year over year to $2.44 billion. On a year-over-year basis, gross profit moved up 7.9% to $713 million. The gross margin improved to 22.6% from the year-ago quarter’s 21.7%.
Selling and administrative expenses rose 7.3% year over year to $161 million. Segmental operating income was $476 million compared with the prior-year quarter’s $437 million.
CCK’s Segment Performances in Q2
Net sales in the Americas Beverage segment totaled $1.40 billion, up 6% year over year. Segmental operating profit increased 10.3% year over year to $268 million.
The European Beverage segment’s sales rose 13.4% year over year to $635 million. Operating income was $97 million compared with the year-ago quarter’s $88 million.
The Asia-Pacific segment’s revenues totaled $256 million, down 11.7% year over year. Operating profit was $50 million compared with the prior-year quarter’s $55 million.
Revenues in the Transit Packaging segment totaled $526 million compared with the year-ago quarter’s $555 million. Operating profit fell 1.4% year over year to $72 million.
Crown Holdings’ Cash Flow & Balance Sheet Updates
Crown Holdings had cash and cash equivalents of $0.94 billion at the end of second-quarter 2025, down from $1.41 billion at the end of the prior-year quarter. The company generated $463 million of cash in operating activities in the first half of 2025 compared with $343 million in the year-ago comparable period.
Crown Holdings’ long-term debt decreased to $5.62 billion as of June 30, 2025, from $5.95 billion as of June 30, 2024.
CCK Raises 2025 EPS Outlook
Crown Holdings expects adjusted EPS to be between $1.95 and $2.05 in the third quarter of 2025. Adjusted EPS in the third quarter of 2024 was $1.99.
Backed by the solid performance in the first quarter and upbeat demand, the company now projects full-year adjusted EPS to be $7.10-$7.50 compared with its prior expectation of $6.70-$7.10. The midpoint of the revised guidance implies year-over-year growth of 14%.
CCK expects 2025 adjusted free cash flow of $900 million.
How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?
It turns out, estimates review have trended upward during the past month.
VGM Scores
At this time, Crown has a nice Growth Score of B, though it is lagging a lot on the Momentum Score front with a D. However, the stock was allocated a grade of B on the value side, putting it in the top 40% for value investors.
Overall, the stock has an aggregate VGM Score of A. If you aren't focused on one strategy, this score is the one you should be interested in.
Outlook
Estimates have been broadly trending upward for the stock, and the magnitude of these revisions looks promising. It comes with little surprise Crown has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). We expect an above average return from the stock in the next few months.
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Crown Holdings, Inc. (CCK): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
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