Some of the smartest investors in the world are long-term holders of a unique asset few people understand.

Eric Sprott, for example.

He’s been called “the Warren Buffett of Canada.”

He owns more than $50 million of this asset.

Then there’s Jim Simons of Renaissance Technologies.

Before he passed away, Simons was considered “the most successful hedge fund manager of all-time.”

RenTech holds more than $500 million worth of this little-known asset.

One of the biggest hoarders is a personal friend of Warren Buffett.

This fellow follows a conservative, don't-lose-money investment style so similar to Buffett’s value investing method that he has been called a “mini-Buffett” and his fund a “mini Berkshire-Hathaway.”

He owns more than $100 MILLION worth of this financial asset.

And his most recent SEC filings reveal he continues to add millions more to his position.

I could go on and on here, but you get the point.

And what matters isn’t who owns it… but why they own it.

And why you should consider adding some of it to your portfolio before it gets too expensive.

What is the asset favored by several billionaires today?

Click here to discover all the details…

Corrugated Cash Flow: Hiding in Packaging Stocks

By Jeffrey Neal Johnson. Publication Date: 3/31/2026.

Key Points

The packaging sector provides stability because its products are essential to daily life, ensuring consistent demand regardless of broader economic conditions.
Industry leaders are delivering record-setting financial results, translating strong operational performance into significant free cash flow generation.
A strong commitment to shareholder value is evident in dividend increases and buyback programs, driven by a confident outlook for the future.
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Investors today are navigating a market marked by heightened uncertainty. With the Nasdaq in a correction and geopolitical tensions creating disruptions across the global economy, high-growth stocks that once led the market are under significant pressure. That widespread risk-off sentiment has many looking for a safe harbor—an investment that preserves value and offers protection against persistent inflation.

In this environment, a classic strategy is regaining attention. Recent advice from Wall Street analysts highlights a sector often overlooked because it lacks glamour: paper and packaging. The suggestion is that companies producing the everyday containers that hold our goods may be among the most resilient holdings. The key question for investors is whether the predictable business of making boxes and cans can provide the stability and inflation protection portfolios need now.

Why Boring Is the New Bullish

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The case for packaging stocks rests on a simple but powerful idea: consistent demand. These companies are broadly non-cyclical or defensive because their products are essential to daily life. Consumers might delay buying a new car, but they continue to purchase groceries, beverages and household staples. That steady demand generates predictable revenue for packaging manufacturers and insulates them from the dramatic swings that affect more volatile sectors. In a market that punishes speculation, predictability becomes a valuable asset.

The sector also offers a structural hedge against inflation. A core advantage of industry leaders is pricing power. Because their products sit at the center of consumer supply chains, they can pass rising input costs—aluminum, tinplate and energy—through to customers more effectively than many businesses in discretionary sectors. That ability to protect margins is critical when inflation is high and helps preserve investor returns.

The Heavyweights of Hedging

At the forefront of this defensive group are two industry giants: Ball Corporation (NYSE: BALL) and Crown Holdings (NYSE: CCK). Both companies have shown strong financial discipline and operational execution, making them clear examples of the packaging investment thesis.

A Year of Record-Breaking Performance

Ball and Crown recently closed out 2025 with record-setting results that underscore their resilience. Ball Corporation, the world's largest manufacturer of aluminum beverage cans, reported fourth-quarter adjusted earnings of $0.91 per share on revenue of $3.35 billion, comfortably beating analyst expectations and capping a year of robust global volume growth in its beverage packaging segments.

Not to be outdone, Crown Holdings posted fourth-quarter adjusted earnings of $1.74 per share, topping consensus estimates, and generated $1.15 billion in adjusted free cash flow for the year. That result highlights the company's operational efficiency and strong market position in North American tinplate and global beverage cans. These performances, achieved amid broader economic concerns, illustrate the stability of their business models.

The Engine of Investor Value

Strong financial results matter only if they translate into shareholder value, and both firms excel here. Ball has issued a confident outlook for 2026, guiding to double-digit earnings-per-share growth and projecting more than $900 million in free cash flow.

That cash generation fuels the company's ability to consistently return capital to investors through dividends and share repurchases.

Crown recently sent a clear signal of corporate confidence by announcing a 35% increase in its quarterly dividend. Such a sizable raise indicates management expects sustained cash flow and financial strength. While some executives have sold shares, that activity should be viewed alongside overwhelming institutional ownership, which suggests major professional funds remain heavily invested for the long term.

An Opportunity in the Pullback

Despite strong fundamentals, both Ball and Crown have seen their share prices retrace in the recent market sell-off. That divergence between robust operations and softer market valuations can create opportunity for long-term investors.

Wall Street analysts retain a Moderate Buy consensus on both stocks. The average analyst price target for Ball sits near $68.77, implying roughly 15% upside from current levels. For Crown, the analyst consensus price target is about $125.21, representing potential upside of more than 25%. Those estimates suggest experts see significant value above today's prices.

The Enduring Value of Boring

In a market seeking stability, the packaging sector makes a persuasive case for a defensive rotation. Consistent demand, strong cash-flow generation and inflation-resistant business models among leaders like Ball and Crown support a portfolio strategy focused on capital preservation and predictable returns. While these names won't deliver the dramatic volatility of high-growth tech, their appeal lies in reliability and steady income: Ball as a global leader with a clear growth path, and Crown as a cash-flow engine committed to shareholder returns.

For investors looking to build resilience into their portfolios, packaging warrants closer attention. The gap between the industry leaders' record financial results and recent stock valuations is a productive starting point for further research, especially for those prioritizing capital preservation and stable cash flow in an uncertain economic backdrop.

Additional Reading from MarketBeat Media

Analyst Optimism: MarketBeat's Most Upgraded Stocks of 2026

Submitted by Leo Miller. Originally Published: 3/26/2026.

Key Points

A few months into 2026, Wall Street analysts are loving these three stocks.
All have received more than 30 upgrades during the year.
This includes two names that have benefited significantly from artificial intelligence tailwinds, and a giant shipping stock persisting through headwinds.
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With just under three months of 2026 behind us, the stock market has been anything but predictable. Investors have punished many software stocks, and notably every name in the Magnificent Seven is in the red. Overall, the S&P 500 Index is down more than 3% and recently fell below its 200-day simple moving average.

Despite the broader weakness, there are clear pockets of strength. Some names are building on impressive 2025 performances, while others are staging significant recoveries. And although the market hasn't always rewarded it, analysts are growing increasingly bullish on one of the Magnificent Seven.

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Early in 2026, MarketBeat identified three stocks among the most upgraded by Wall Street analysts, with price targets implying considerable upside.

Micron Takes Crown as Most-Upgraded Stock of 2026

Memory-chip maker Micron Technology (NASDAQ: MU) has received the most analyst upgrades so far this year. MarketBeat has tracked 40 analyst upgrades on MU — the most of any stock — which aligns with the stock's strong 2026 performance. MU is up more than 30% year to date, on top of roughly a 240% gain in 2025.

Analysts remain bullish. The MarketBeat consensus price target is near $453, implying about 20% upside.

Although Micron shares fell after its latest earnings release, analysts grew significantly more optimistic. The average target among analysts issuing updates after the report rose to roughly $548, suggesting more than 40% upside. Still, investors should note MU also received two Hold-equivalent ratings following the report.

The surge in Micron shares has been driven in part by a shortage of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) used in AI data centers. Micron is one of just three companies — alongside Korean firms Samsung Electronics (OTCMKTS: SSNLF) and SK Hynix — that manufacture HBM. All three are effectively sold out of HBM capacity for 2026, giving them significant pricing power. That dynamic helped Micron's revenue rise 196% year over year last quarter, while gross margin expanded roughly 1,800 basis points.

Historic Market-Share Gains Push FDX Shares and Price Targets Higher

A somewhat surprising inclusion on the list is FedEx (NYSE: FDX). With 35 upgrades, it is MarketBeat's second-most upgraded stock of 2026. In 2025, FedEx shares returned just 5%, lagging the S&P 500's nearly 18% gain, a performance hurt in part by tariffs and related headwinds to global trade. In April 2025, following President Trump's Liberation Day announcement, FedEx shares plunged as much as 31%.

The stock has since recovered. FedEx returned 28% in the second half of 2025 and is up more than 20% in 2026 as the company gained U.S. market share and tightened cost controls. In its latest quarter, the company said it achieved its "strongest profitable market share growth" in more than 20 years.

The MarketBeat consensus price target for FedEx sits near $394, implying a little over 10% upside. The average of targets updated after the most recent earnings report is modestly higher at $411, suggesting about 15% upside.

Notably, among roughly a dozen updated targets, about a quarter were Hold-equivalent, and Morgan Stanley issued an Underweight rating.

Updated Targets Eye Roughly 30% Gains in GOOGL

Parent company Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL) ranks as the fourth-most upgraded stock of 2026 with 31 upgrades. (Seagate Technology (NASDAQ: STX) has 32 upgrades but analysts see less upside there compared with Alphabet.)

Alphabet delivered an impressive 66% total return in 2025, with much of the gain coming in the second half. That performance was driven by growth across several core business lines and enthusiasm around the firm's Gemini AI model.

The MarketBeat consensus price target on Alphabet is roughly $367, implying more than 20% upside. Yet shares have underperformed since the company's last earnings report — down over 10% despite beating estimates on both sales and adjusted EPS.

One factor was Alphabet's 2026 capital-expenditure guidance of $175 billion to $185 billion, which came in well above expectations.

Still, analysts have become more bullish. Among those issuing targets after the report, the average rose to $383, implying more than 30% upside. Of 32 updated targets, 28 were Buy-equivalent and four were Hold-equivalent.

MU, FDX and GOOGL Are Winning Analysts' Favor

Overall, Micron, FedEx and Alphabet are drawing notable support from the analyst community. That is encouraging, but investors should not treat price targets as gospel — they can change quickly based on new information and typically reflect a 12-month view, which may omit longer-term context.

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