Sustainable aluminium packaging provider Ball has reported a decrease in sales and a loss for the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2024.

For the fourth quarter ended 31 December 2024, the company reported sales of $2.88bn, compared to $2.9bn in the same period last year.

On a US generally accepted accounting principles basis (GAAP), the company posted a net loss of $32m compared to a net income of $154m in Q4 2023.

Ball's Q4 2024 comparable earnings per diluted share were 84¢ versus comparable earnings per diluted share of 78¢ in Q4 2023.

For the full year of 2024, the company reported sales of $11.79bn compared to $12.06bn in 2023.

During the period under consideration, the company’s net income was $4.00bn compared to $707m in the same period in 2023.

Ball's full-year 2024 comparable net earnings were $977m, or $3.17 per diluted share compared to $920m, or $2.90 per diluted share in 2023.

In the fourth quarter, comparable operating earnings were $90m on sales of $826m, compared to $80m on sales of $739m for the same period in 2023.

In 2024, the company's beverage packaging segment in South America posted comparable operating earnings of $296m on sales of $1.95bn, up from $266m on sales of $1.96bn in 2023.

For the fourth quarter, comparable operating earnings were $126m on sales of $563m, slightly up from $125m on sales of $616m in the same period last year.

Ball chair and CEO Daniel Fisher said: “We delivered strong full-year and fourth-quarter results and returned $1.96bn to shareholders in 2024.

“Leveraging our strong financial position and leaner operating model, the company was able to deliver on its 2024 goals and remains uniquely positioned to enable our purpose of advancing the greater use of sustainable aluminium packaging, despite the current end-consumer environment in certain geographies.

“We continue to complement our purpose by unlocking additional manufacturing efficiencies, driving innovation and sustainability on a global scale, managing our costs and enabling consistent delivery of high-quality, long-term shareholder value creation.”