Silgan (SLGN) vs Sonoco Products (SON)
Head-to-head comparison of performance, valuation, growth, profitability and dividends. Prices delayed 15 minutes; data as of Oct 7, 2026.
Summary
Sonoco Products (SON) has outperformed Silgan (SLGN) over the past year, gaining 12.4% versus a loss of 18.6%. Over five years, SLGN leads with a -13.7% price change compared with -22.1% for SON. Sonoco Products is the larger company by market cap ($4.72 billion vs $3.70 billion), about 1.3 times the size.
On valuation, Sonoco Products trades at a lower forward P/E (7.6x vs 8.6x for Silgan). Sonoco Products offers the higher dividend yield (4.46% vs 2.34%).
Summary generated from market data by MetaCap's automated system. Methodology
Relative performance
Percent change in share price from the first common trading day shown; excludes dividends.
Head-to-head
| Metric | SLGN | SON |
|---|---|---|
| Share price | $35.05 | $47.74 |
| Market cap | $3.70B | $4.72B |
| 1-day change | -0.45% | -0.58% |
| YTD return | -13.18% | +9.40% |
| 1-year return | -18.56% | +12.41% |
| 5-year return | -13.69% | -22.12% |
| P/E ratio (TTM) | 13.75 | 7.39 |
| Forward P/E | 8.57 | 7.57 |
| EPS (TTM) | $2.55 | $6.46 |
| Dividend yield | 2.34% | 4.46% |
| Annual dividend | $0.82 | $2.13 |
| Revenue (latest FY) | — | $7.52B |
| Revenue growth (YoY) | — | +41.72% |
| Net income (latest FY) | — | $1.00B |
| Gross margin | — | 20.94% |
| Operating margin | — | 13.54% |
| Net margin | — | 13.34% |
| 52-week high | $49.55 | $60.67 |
| 52-week low | $33.70 | $38.65 |
| Distance from 52-week high | -29.26% | -21.31% |
| Analyst consensus | strong_buy | buy |
| Avg. price target upside | +53.64% | +28.01% |
| Average volume | 1.30M | 1.11M |
| Shares outstanding | 105.68M | 98.88M |
| Employees | 17,320 | 22,000 |
| Sector | Industrials | Consumer Discretionary |
| Industry | Containers/Packaging | Containers/Packaging |
Highlighted cells mark the higher value for growth, returns, margins and yield, and the lower value for P/E ratios. Highlighting is a mechanical comparison, not a recommendation.
Key differences
- SON has outperformed SLGN by 31.0 percentage points over the past year.
- Silgan trades at a higher earnings multiple (13.7x vs 7.4x trailing P/E).
- Sonoco Products offers a meaningfully higher dividend yield (4.46% vs 2.34%).
- The two companies sit in different sectors: Silgan in Industrials and Sonoco Products in Consumer Discretionary.
About Silgan
SLGN stock →Silgan Holdings Inc., together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells rigid packaging solutions for consumer goods products in the United States and internationally. It operates through three segments: Dispensing and Specialty Closures, Metal Containers, and Custom Containers.
Industrials · Containers/Packaging · 17,320 employees
About Sonoco Products
SON stock →Sonoco Products Company, together with its subsidiaries, designs, develops, manufactures, and sells various engineered and sustainable packaging products in the United States, Europe, Canada, the Asia Pacific, and internationally. The company operates in two segments, Consumer Packaging and Industrial Paper Packaging.
Consumer Discretionary · Containers/Packaging · 22,000 employees
SLGN vs SON FAQ
Which is bigger, Silgan or Sonoco Products?
Sonoco Products (SON) is larger, with a market capitalization of $4.72B compared with $3.70B for Silgan (SLGN).
Which stock has performed better over the past year, SLGN or SON?
SON returned +12.41% over the past 12 months, compared with -18.56% for SLGN (price return, excluding dividends). Past performance does not predict future results.
Which has the lower P/E ratio, SLGN or SON?
SON has the lower trailing P/E at 7.4, versus 13.7 for SLGN. A lower P/E is not by itself a sign of a better investment; it can reflect slower expected growth or higher risk.
Which pays a higher dividend, Silgan or Sonoco Products?
Sonoco Products has the higher yield at 4.46%, compared with 2.34% for Silgan.
Are Silgan and Sonoco Products in the same industry?
Yes. Both are classified in the Containers/Packaging industry within the Industrials sector.