Packaging Corporation of America (PKG) Stock Price, News & Analysis

Company Overview

Packaging Corporation of America (NYSE: PKG) is a leading producer of containerboard and corrugated packaging products in North America. The company operates an integrated network of containerboard mills and corrugated converting facilities that manufacture a wide range of packaging solutions designed to protect and display goods in transit and at retail. Packaging Corporation of America emphasizes operational efficiency, product quality and customer service to support its diverse base of customers across food and beverage, industrial, electronics and consumer goods markets.

Through its containerboard mills, Packaging Corporation of America produces high-strength linerboard and medium, which are used to make corrugated sheets and boxes. The company’s converting operations include corrugating plants, sheet plants and recycled-paperboard facilities, enabling it to offer custom packaging, point-of-purchase displays and protective undulating materials. In addition to its manufacturing footprint in the United States and Canada, the company maintains recycling centers to source recovered paper, reinforcing its focus on sustainable material use and circular economy principles.

Established in 1959 as a division of a diversified forest products enterprise, Packaging Corporation of America was spun off as an independent public company in 2013. Since then, it has grown through strategic investments in capacity expansions and targeted acquisitions, furthering its ability to serve emerging and established markets. The company’s commitment to innovation has led to ongoing research into fiber-based alternatives that address e-commerce packaging needs and reduce environmental impact.

Packaging Corporation of America is led by a seasoned executive team with extensive experience in the packaging and forest products industries. Under the direction of its President and Chief Executive Officer, the company continues to prioritize safety, sustainability and operational excellence. Its board and management remain focused on long-term value creation, driving initiatives in energy efficiency, product innovation and community engagement.

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Key Stats

• Today's Range: $189.88 to $204.18
• 50-Day Range: $180.09 to $197.20
• 52-Week Range: $172.71 to $250.82
• Volume: 764,250 shs
• Average Volume: 891,182 shs
• Market Capitalization: $18.23 billion
• P/E Ratio: 21.17
• Dividend Yield: 2.47%
• Price Target: $211.80
• Consensus Rating: Moderate Buy

Packaging Corporation of America Stock Analysis - MarketRank™

Packaging Corporation of America scored higher than 79% of companies evaluated by MarketBeat, and ranked 29th out of 182 stocks in the industrials sector. Scores are calculated by averaging available category scores, with extra weight given to analysis and valuation.

Analyst's Opinion

• Score: 1.3 / 5
• Analyst Rating: Moderate Buy

Consensus Rating

Packaging Corporation of America has received a consensus rating of Moderate Buy. The company's average rating score is 2.50, and is based on 1 buy rating, 4 hold ratings, and no sell ratings.

Amount of Analyst Coverage

Packaging Corporation of America has only been the subject of 4 research reports in the past 90 days.

Earnings and Valuation

• Score: 2.5 / 5
• Proj. Earnings Growth: 9.29%

Earnings Growth

Earnings for Packaging Corporation of America are expected to grow by 9.29% in the coming year, from $10.44 to $11.41 per share.

Price to Earnings Ratio vs. the Market

The P/E ratio of Packaging Corporation of America is 21.17, which means that it is trading at a less expensive P/E ratio than the market average P/E ratio of about 24.90.

Price to Earnings Ratio vs. Sector

The P/E ratio of Packaging Corporation of America is 21.17, which means that it is trading at a less expensive P/E ratio than the Industrials sector average P/E ratio of about 24.55.

Price to Earnings Growth Ratio

Packaging Corporation of America has a PEG Ratio of 2.50. PEG Ratios above 1 indicate that a company could be overvalued.

Price to Book Value per Share Ratio

Packaging Corporation of America has a P/B Ratio of 4.13. P/B Ratios above 3 indicate that a company could be overvalued with respect to its assets and liabilities.

Short Interest

• Score: 3.0 / 5
• Short Interest Level: Healthy

Percentage of Shares Shorted

2.24% of the float of Packaging Corporation of America has been sold short.

Short Interest Ratio / Days to Cover

Packaging Corporation of America has a short interest ratio ("days to cover") of 2.3, which is generally considered an acceptable ratio of short interest to trading volume.

Change versus previous month

Short interest in Packaging Corporation of America has recently increased by 13.22%, indicating that investor sentiment is decreasing significantly.

Dividend

• Score: 2.5 / 5
• Dividend Strength: Moderate

Dividend Yield

Packaging Corporation of America pays a meaningful dividend of 2.64%, higher than the bottom 25% of all stocks that pay dividends.

Dividend Growth

Packaging Corporation of America does not have a long track record of dividend growth.

Dividend Coverage

The dividend payout ratio of Packaging Corporation of America is 52.30%. This payout ratio is at a healthy, sustainable level, below 75%.

Dividend Sustainability

Based on earnings estimates, Packaging Corporation of America will have a dividend payout ratio of 43.82% next year. This indicates that Packaging Corporation of America will be able to sustain or increase its dividend.

Sustainability and ESG

• Score: 2.4 / 5
• Environmental Score: -1.50

Percentage of Shares Shorted

2.24% of the float of Packaging Corporation of America has been sold short.

Short Interest Ratio / Days to Cover

Packaging Corporation of America has a short interest ratio ("days to cover") of 2.3, which is generally considered an acceptable ratio of short interest to trading volume.

Change versus previous month

Short interest in Packaging Corporation of America has recently increased by 13.22%, indicating that investor sentiment is decreasing significantly.

News and Social Media

• Score: 2.8 / 5
• News Sentiment: 1.08

News Sentiment

Packaging Corporation of America has a news sentiment score of 1.08. This score is calculated as an average of sentiment of articles about the company over the last seven days and ranges from 2 (good news) to -2 (bad news). This is a higher news sentiment than the 0.62 average news sentiment score of Industrials companies.

News Coverage This Week

MarketBeat has tracked 20 news articles for Packaging Corporation of America this week, compared to 12 articles on an average week.

MarketBeat Follows

Only 2 people have added Packaging Corporation of America to their MarketBeat watchlist in the last 30 days. This is a decrease of -60% compared to the previous 30 days.

Company Ownership

• Score: 1.7 / 5
• Insider Trading: N/A

Insider Buying vs. Insider Selling

In the past three months, Packaging Corporation of America insiders have not sold or bought any company stock.

Percentage Held by Insiders

Only 1.50% of the stock of Packaging Corporation of America is held by insiders.

Percentage Held by Institutions

89.78% of the stock of Packaging Corporation of America is held by institutions. High institutional ownership can be a signal of strong market trust in this company.

PKG Stock Analysis - Frequently Asked Questions

How have PKG shares performed this year?

Packaging Corporation of America's stock was trading at $225.13 on January 1st, 2025. Since then, PKG stock has decreased by 10.0% and is now trading at $202.6070.
View the best growth stocks for 2025 here.

How were Packaging Corporation of America's earnings last quarter?

Packaging Corporation of America (NYSE:PKG) issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April, 22nd. The industrial products company reported $2.31 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.21 by $0.10. The industrial products company had revenue of $2.14 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.12 billion. Packaging Corporation of America had a trailing twelve-month return on equity of 20.08% and a net margin of 10.09%.
Read the conference call transcript.

Does Packaging Corporation of America have any subsidiaries?

Packaging Corporation of America subsidiaries include these companies: Sacramento Container Corp., Columbus Container, TimBar Packaging & Display, Crockett Packaging, Boise, Colorado Container, Field Packaging Group, and others.

How do I buy shares of Packaging Corporation of America?

Shares of PKG stock can be purchased through any online brokerage account. Popular online brokerages with access to the U.S. stock market include Charles Schwab, E*TRADE, Fidelity, and Vanguard Brokerage Services.

What other stocks do shareholders of Packaging Corporation of America own?

Based on aggregate information from My MarketBeat watchlists, some other companies that Packaging Corporation of America investors own include American Water Works (AWK), Humana (HUM), Waste Connections (WCN), The RMR Group (RMR), Voyager Therapeutics (VYGR), DiamondRock Hospitality (DRH) and AU Optronics (AUOTY).

Company Calendar

• Record date for 4/15 Dividend: 3/14/2025
• Ex-Dividend for 4/15 Dividend: 3/14/2025
• Dividend Payable: 4/15/2025
• Last Earnings: 4/22/2025
• Record date for 7/15 Dividend: 6/13/2025
• Ex-Dividend for 7/15 Dividend: 6/13/2025
• Today: 7/01/2025
• Dividend Payable: 7/15/2025
• Next Earnings (Confirmed): 7/23/2025
• Fiscal Year End: 12/31/2025

Industry, Sector and Symbol

• Stock Exchange: NYSE
• Sector: Industrials
• Industry: CONTNRS - PPR/PLS
• Sub-Industry: Paper Packaging
• Current Symbol: NYSE:PKG
• CIK: 75677
• Web: www.packagingcorp.com
• Phone: (847) 482-3000
• Fax: 847-482-4545
• Employees: 15,100
• Year Founded: 1959

Price Target and Rating

• Average Stock Price Target: $211.80
• High Stock Price Target: $239.00
• Low Stock Price Target: $180.00
• Potential Upside/Downside: +6.4%
• Consensus Rating: Moderate Buy
• Rating Score (0-4): 2.50
• Research Coverage: 6 Analysts

Profitability

• EPS (Most Recent Fiscal Year): $9.56
• Trailing P/E Ratio: 20.84
• Forward P/E Ratio: 19.07
• P/E Growth: 2.5
• Net Income: $805.10 million
• Net Margins: 10.09%
• Pretax Margin: 13.39%
• Return on Equity: 20.08%
• Return on Assets: 9.77%

Debt

• Debt-to-Equity Ratio: 0.55
• Current Ratio: 3.28
• Quick Ratio: 2.15

Sales & Book Value

• Annual Sales: $8.38 billion
• Price / Sales: 2.14
• Cash Flow: $15.72 per share
• Price / Cash Flow: 12.67
• Book Value: $49.04 per share
• Price / Book: 4.06

Miscellaneous

• Outstanding Shares: 89,980,000
• Free Float: 88,630,000
• Market Cap: $17.92 billion
• Optionable: Optionable
• Beta: 0.84