20. Earnings Per Share

Years Ended December 31,

($ in millions, except per share amounts; shares in thousands)

  ​ ​ ​

2025

  ​ ​ ​

2024

  ​ ​ ​

2023

Earnings from continuing operations attributable to Ball Corporation, net of tax

$

912

$

424

$

484

Discontinued operations, net of tax

3,584

223

Net earnings attributable to Ball Corporation

$

912

$

4,008

$

707

Basic weighted average common shares

274,263

305,459

314,775

Effect of dilutive securities

1,709

2,747

2,247

Weighted average shares applicable to diluted earnings per share

275,972

308,206

317,022

Basic - continuing operations

$

3.33

$

1.39

$

1.54

Basic - discontinued operations

11.73

0.71

Per basic share

$

3.33

$

13.12

$

2.25

Diluted - continuing operations

$

3.30

$

1.37

$

1.53

Diluted - discontinued operations

11.63

0.70

Per diluted share

$

3.30

$

13.00

$

2.23

Certain outstanding options were excluded from the diluted earnings per share calculations because they were anti-dilutive. The excluded options totaled approximately 5 million for the year ended December 31, 2025, 5 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, and 4 million for the year ended December 31, 2023.

The company declared and paid dividends of $0.80 per share in 2025, 2024 and 2023.

Historical Timeline

Fiscal YearFiled
2025Feb 19, 2026Showing above
2024Feb 20, 2025
2023Feb 20, 2024
2022Feb 21, 2023
2021Feb 16, 2022
2020Feb 17, 2021
2019Feb 19, 2020
2018Feb 22, 2019
2017Mar 1, 2018
2016Mar 2, 2017
2015Feb 16, 2016

About Earnings Per Share Disclosures

The earnings per share disclosure breaks down the calculation from net income to both basic and diluted EPS, revealing the full impact of a company's capital structure on per-share economics. The reconciliation between basic and diluted share counts exposes how many stock options, RSUs, convertible securities, and warrants are potentially dilutive to existing shareholders.

Key signals: a widening gap between basic and diluted shares indicates growing dilution from equity compensation or convertible instruments. Anti-dilutive securities excluded from the diluted calculation deserve attention — they represent latent dilution that will materialize if the stock price rises. Watch for the effect of share buybacks on per-share metrics: EPS growth driven primarily by repurchases rather than income growth signals weakening fundamentals. Compare year-over-year changes in the diluted share count against equity compensation expense to assess whether management is effectively managing dilution.