Packaging Corporation of America's (PKG) "Buy" Rating Reaffirmed at Truist Financial

Key Points

• Truist Financial reaffirmed its “Buy” rating on Packaging Corporation of America and raised its price target to $294 from $280, implying approximately 18% upside. The analyst consensus remains “Moderate Buy,” with an average target of $274.14.
• PKG reported quarterly EPS of $3.04, beating the $2.93 estimate and rising from $2.73 a year earlier; revenue increased 12.5% to about $2.6 billion. Management expects fourth-quarter EPS of $2.81, slightly above consensus.
• Analysts see additional potential from pricing actions and the Greif acquisition, but investors are watching maintenance outages, freight and other costs, shipment trends, and the stock’s relatively elevated valuation.

Packaging Corporation of America (NYSE:PKG - Get Free Report)'s stock had its "buy" rating reissued by analysts at Truist Financial in a research report issued on Friday, Benzinga reports. They presently have a $294.00 price objective on the industrial products company's stock, up from their prior price objective of $280.00. Truist Financial's price target indicates a potential upside of 18.13% from the stock's current price.

Several other equities analysts have also recently commented on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of Packaging Corporation of America from $246.00 to $245.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 7th. UBS Group dropped their price target on shares of Packaging Corporation of America from $292.00 to $289.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, October 5th. Citigroup cut their target price on Packaging Corporation of America from $254.00 to $253.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, October 2nd. Bank of America reduced their price target on shares of Packaging Corporation of America from $280.00 to $260.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, September 11th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Packaging Corporation of America from $320.00 to $322.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $274.14.

Packaging Corporation of America Trading Down 0.0%

NYSE PKG traded down $0.04 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $248.88. The company had a trading volume of 240,999 shares, compared to its average volume of 802,709. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $237.17 and a 200 day moving average of $230.79. The stock has a market capitalization of $22.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 0.75. Packaging Corporation of America has a 1-year low of $191.50 and a 1-year high of $259.98. The company has a current ratio of 2.94, a quick ratio of 1.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.85.

Packaging Corporation of America (NYSE:PKG - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 21st. The industrial products company reported $3.04 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.93 by $0.11. Packaging Corporation of America had a net margin of 7.40% and a return on equity of 19.63%. The firm had revenue of $2.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.61 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.73 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 12.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Packaging Corporation of America will post 10.45 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, President Thomas A. Hassfurther sold 7,063 shares of Packaging Corporation of America stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $254.00, for a total transaction of $1,794,002.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the president directly owned 202,891 shares in the company, valued at $51,534,314. The trade was a 3.36% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, VP Donald R. Shirley sold 12,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $250.71, for a total value 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. The trade was a 38.57% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 40,391 shares of company stock worth $10,196,101 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 1.60% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Packaging Corporation of America

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of PKG. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Packaging Corporation of America in the second quarter valued at $1,837,506,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new stake in Packaging Corporation of America during the 2nd quarter worth about $748,095,000. Royal Bank of Canada raised its stake in Packaging Corporation of America by 25.2% in the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 2,323,010 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $492,990,000 after purchasing an additional 467,590 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new position in Packaging Corporation of America in the 2nd quarter valued at about $379,568,000. Finally, Atlas FRM LLC acquired a new position in Packaging Corporation of America in the 2nd quarter valued at about $365,164,100. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.78% of the company's stock.

More Packaging Corporation of America News

Here are the key news stories impacting Packaging Corporation of America this week:

• Positive Sentiment: PKG reported third-quarter adjusted earnings of $3.04 per share, above the $2.93 consensus estimate and up from $2.73 a year ago. Sales increased 12.5% to approximately $2.6 billion, supported by favorable pricing and product mix, higher box shipments, and contributions from the acquired Greif operations. Packaging Corporation of America Reports Third Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Management provided fourth-quarter EPS guidance of $2.81, modestly above the $2.78 analyst consensus. The outlook reflects planned price increases and continued cost discipline, although maintenance outages are expected to limit some of the benefit. Packaging Corp Q3 Earnings Beat Estimates on Favorable Price & Mix
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts raised their targets following the results. JPMorgan increased its target to $322 and maintained an “overweight” rating, while Deutsche Bank raised its target to $298 and kept a “buy” rating. These revisions suggest analysts see further upside from earnings growth and Greif integration. Deutsche Bank Adjusts Packaging of America Price Target
• Neutral Sentiment: The earnings call highlighted profitable growth and resilient margins, but investors are monitoring the pace of acquisition benefits, shipment trends, and execution of upcoming price increases. Packaging Corporation of America Q3 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the earnings beat, valuation remains a concern. PKG trades at a relatively elevated earnings multiple, and freight expenses, maintenance outages, and other rising costs could pressure margins. One analysis characterized the company as fundamentally strong but viewed the stock as expensive, which may be limiting enthusiasm. Packaging Corporation of America: A Good Company Isn't Always A Good Stock

Packaging Corporation of America Company Profile

Packaging Corporation of America NYSE: PKG is a manufacturer of corrugated packaging and containerboard products serving businesses primarily in the United States. Its products include shipping boxes, retail packaging, displays, protective packaging and specialty corrugated solutions used to transport and present a broad range of consumer and industrial goods.

The company also produces uncoated freesheet paper and related paper products for commercial printing, office use, publishing, converting and other applications.

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