Packaging Corporation of America (NYSE:PKG) Given New $245.00 Price Target at Wells Fargo & Company

Key Points

• Wells Fargo lowered its price target for Packaging Corporation of America from $246 to $245 while maintaining an “equal weight” rating, implying roughly 7.55% upside from the previous close.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive, with PKG holding a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $270.43, despite mixed target revisions from several firms.
• PKG shares fell 0.8% to $227.79 in mid-day trading. The company recently beat quarterly earnings estimates, reporting adjusted EPS of $2.35 versus the $2.31 consensus, while insiders have sold more than $10.2 million of stock over the past 90 days.

Packaging Corporation of America (NYSE:PKG - Get Free Report) had its price objective decreased by equities research analysts at Wells Fargo & Company from $246.00 to $245.00 in a report issued on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an "equal weight" rating on the industrial products company's stock. Wells Fargo & Company's price objective suggests a potential upside of 7.55% from the company's previous close.

PKG has been the subject of several other research reports. Weiss Ratings raised Packaging Corporation of America from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 25th. UBS Group reduced their price target on Packaging Corporation of America from $292.00 to $289.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday. Citigroup decreased their price objective on Packaging Corporation of America from $254.00 to $253.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 2nd. Truist Financial raised their price objective on Packaging Corporation of America from $258.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Packaging Corporation of America from $312.00 to $320.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, September 23rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $270.43.

Packaging Corporation of America Trading Down 0.8%

Packaging Corporation of America stock traded down $1.95 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $227.79. 151,209 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 809,324. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 2.94 and a quick ratio of 1.86. Packaging Corporation of America has a 52-week low of $191.50 and a 52-week high of $259.98. The firm has a market capitalization of $20.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.60, a P/E/G ratio of 1.97 and a beta of 0.75. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $241.79 and its 200 day moving average price is $228.67.

Packaging Corporation of America (NYSE:PKG - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 22nd. The industrial products company reported $2.35 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.31 by $0.04. Packaging Corporation of America had a net margin of 7.25% and a return on equity of 18.94%. The firm had revenue of $2.49 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.49 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.48 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 14.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Packaging Corporation of America has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.910-2.910 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Packaging Corporation of America will post 10.45 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Packaging Corporation of America

In other Packaging Corporation of America news, VP Donald R. Shirley sold 12,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $250.71, for a total transaction of $3,008,520.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 19,110 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,791,068.10. This trade represents a 38.57% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, President Thomas A. Hassfurther sold 12,531 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $250.00, for a total transaction of $3,132,750.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the president owned 218,751 shares in the company, valued at approximately $54,687,750. This represents a 5.42% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 40,391 shares of company stock valued at $10,196,101 over the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 1.60% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Packaging Corporation of America

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of PKG. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in shares of Packaging Corporation of America in the second quarter worth about $1,837,506,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new stake in Packaging Corporation of America in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $748,095,000. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new stake in Packaging Corporation of America during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $379,568,000. Atlas FRM LLC purchased a new position in Packaging Corporation of America during the second quarter valued at approximately $365,164,100. Finally, Diamant Asset Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Packaging Corporation of America by 19,710.3% in the first quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 893,446 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $189,607,000 after purchasing an additional 888,936 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 89.78% of the company's stock.

About Packaging Corporation of America

Packaging Corporation of America NYSE: PKG is a manufacturer of containerboard and corrugated packaging products in the United States. The company produces linerboard, corrugating medium and finished corrugated containers used to package and transport consumer, industrial, food and agricultural products.

PCA also manufactures specialty packaging products, including retail displays, protective packaging and custom-designed corrugated solutions. Through its Paper segment, the company produces and sells uncoated freesheet paper and related specialty papers for commercial printing, office use, converting and other applications.

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