What is Zacks Research's Forecast for PKG Q4 Earnings?

Key Points

• Zacks Research raised its Q4 2026 EPS forecast for Packaging Corporation of America to $2.76, up from $2.75. It projects full-year 2026 earnings of $10.48 per share and FY2027 earnings of $12.46 per share.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $264.57. Recent firms including Truist, UBS, and Bank of America raised their price targets and maintained buy ratings.
• PCA reported quarterly EPS of $2.35, beating estimates by $0.04, while revenue rose 14.7% year over year to $2.49 billion. The company also declared a $1.50 quarterly dividend, equivalent to a 2.6% yield.

Packaging Corporation of America (NYSE:PKG - Free Report) - Analysts at Zacks Research increased their Q4 2026 earnings estimates for shares of Packaging Corporation of America in a research note issued to investors on Thursday, September 10th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the industrial products company will post earnings of $2.76 per share for the quarter, up from their prior estimate of $2.75. The consensus estimate for Packaging Corporation of America's current full-year earnings is $10.48 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Packaging Corporation of America's Q2 2027 earnings at $2.98 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $3.36 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $3.24 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $12.46 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at $3.24 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $14.60 EPS.

PKG has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Truist Financial increased their target price on Packaging Corporation of America from $258.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of Packaging Corporation of America from $271.00 to $292.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, August 13th. Bank of America raised their price target on shares of Packaging Corporation of America from $242.00 to $263.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of Packaging Corporation of America from $241.00 to $254.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reissued an "equal weight" rating and issued a $246.00 price objective (up from $245.00) on shares of Packaging Corporation of America in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $264.57.

Packaging Corporation of America Price Performance

Shares of PKG stock opened at $232.92 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $241.82 and a 200 day moving average price of $227.43. Packaging Corporation of America has a 52-week low of $191.50 and a 52-week high of $259.98. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 1.86 and a current ratio of 2.94. The firm has a market capitalization of $20.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.25, a P/E/G ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.78.

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 (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.31 by $0.04. Packaging Corporation of America had a return on equity of 18.94% and a net margin of 7.25%.The business had revenue of $2.49 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.49 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.48 earnings per share. 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.

Institutional Trading of Packaging Corporation of America

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of PKG. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC grew its holdings in shares of Packaging Corporation of America by 73.5% during the first quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 2,956 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $585,000 after buying an additional 1,252 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC raised its stake in Packaging Corporation of America by 538.6% in the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 6,303 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $1,248,000 after acquiring an additional 5,316 shares during the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its stake in Packaging Corporation of America by 40.4% in the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 198 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $39,000 after acquiring an additional 57 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC lifted its position in Packaging Corporation of America by 43.6% during the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,770 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $334,000 after acquiring an additional 537 shares during the period. Finally, Cresset Asset Management LLC lifted its position in Packaging Corporation of America by 17.0% during the 2nd quarter. Cresset Asset Management LLC now owns 1,772 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $336,000 after acquiring an additional 258 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.78% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Packaging Corporation of America

In related news, VP Donald Shirley sold 12,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $250.71, for a total transaction of $3,008,520.00. Following the sale, the vice president owned 19,110 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,791,068.10. This trade represents a 38.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, President Thomas Hassfurther sold 12,531 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $250.00, for a total value of $3,132,750.00. Following the transaction, the president directly owned 218,751 shares in the company, valued at approximately $54,687,750. The trade was a 5.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders sold 40,391 shares of company stock valued at $10,196,101. Corporate insiders own 1.60% of the company's stock.

Packaging Corporation of America Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be given a $1.50 dividend. This represents a $6.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. Packaging Corporation of America's payout ratio is presently 77.92%.

About Packaging Corporation of America

Packaging Corporation of America NYSE: PKG manufactures and sells containerboard and corrugated packaging products. Its offerings include shipping boxes, retail displays, protective packaging and other custom-designed packaging solutions used by businesses in a range of industries.

The company also produces uncoated paper products, including communication papers, office papers and specialty papers. PCA serves customers primarily across the United States and operates a network of paper mills, corrugated products plants, design centers and related facilities.

Packaging Corporation of America was established in 1999 following the acquisition of Tenneco Packaging by an investor group and its subsequent separation from Tenneco Inc Mark W.

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