Packaging Corporation of America (NYSE:PKG) Releases Q4 2026 Earnings Guidance

Key Points

• Packaging Corporation of America guided to fourth-quarter 2026 EPS of $2.81, above the analyst consensus of $2.78.
• PCA’s third-quarter results exceeded expectations, with EPS of $3.04 versus $2.93 expected and revenue rising 12.5% year over year to $2.60 billion.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive view, with a “Moderate Buy” consensus and average price target of $271.86, although shares fell 1.4% to $245.37 and insiders have recently sold stock.

Packaging Corporation of America (NYSE:PKG - Get Free Report) updated its fourth quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Friday. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 2.810-2.810 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 2.780.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

PKG has been the topic of several analyst reports. Citigroup cut their price target on shares of Packaging Corporation of America from $254.00 to $253.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 2nd. Bank of America dropped their price target on shares of Packaging Corporation of America from $280.00 to $260.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, September 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of Packaging Corporation of America from $312.00 to $320.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, September 23rd. UBS Group decreased 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 report on Monday, October 5th. Finally, Truist Financial upped their price target on shares of Packaging Corporation of America from $270.00 to $280.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, October 12th. One 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. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $271.86.

Packaging Corporation of America Stock Down 1.4%

Packaging Corporation of America stock traded down $3.55 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $245.37. The company had a trading volume of 74,541 shares, compared to its average volume of 801,772. The company has a market capitalization of $21.86 billion, a PE ratio of 31.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 0.75. The company has a current ratio of 2.94, a quick ratio of 1.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.85. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $237.17 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $230.79. Packaging Corporation of America has a 12 month low of $191.50 and a 12 month high of $259.98.

Packaging Corporation of America (NYSE:PKG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 21st. The industrial products company reported $3.04 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates 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 company had revenue of $2.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.61 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.73 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 12.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Packaging Corporation of America will post 10.45 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Packaging Corporation of America Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th were given a dividend of $1.50 per share. This represents a $6.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, September 15th. Packaging Corporation of America's dividend payout ratio is currently 77.92%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Packaging Corporation of America

In related news, VP Donald Shirley sold 12,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on 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 completion of the transaction, the vice president owned 19,110 shares in the company, valued at $4,791,068.10. The trade was a 38.57% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, President Thomas Hassfurther sold 12,531 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $250.00, for a total transaction of $3,132,750.00. Following the transaction, the president directly owned 218,751 shares in the company, valued at $54,687,750. This trade represents a 5.42% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 40,391 shares of company stock valued at $10,196,101 over the last ninety days. 1.60% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Packaging Corporation of America News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Adjusted third-quarter EPS was $3.04, above the roughly $2.93-$2.95 analyst consensus and up from $2.73 a year earlier. Revenue rose 12.5% year over year to approximately $2.60 billion, supported by favorable pricing and product mix, higher shipments, and contributions from the Greif operations. Packaging Corporation of America Reports Third Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: PCA raised or reaffirmed fourth-quarter adjusted EPS guidance at $2.81, ahead of the $2.78 consensus estimate. Price increases, cost discipline, and continued integration benefits are supporting the outlook. Packaging Corporation of America Reports Earnings Results
• Positive Sentiment: Deutsche Bank raised its price target to $298 from $270 and maintained a Buy rating, indicating continued confidence in PCA’s earnings durability and growth prospects. Deutsche Bank Price Target Update
• Neutral Sentiment: Management highlighted profitable growth and successful Greif integration, while analysts focused on shipment trends, pricing, margins, and execution risks discussed during the earnings call. Analyst Questions From PCA’s Q3 Earnings Call
• Negative Sentiment: Fourth-quarter gains will be partly offset by maintenance outages and higher freight and other operating costs. Although the earnings beat was solid, revenue was broadly in line with expectations rather than materially above them. PCA Q3 Earnings Beat Meets Rising Cost Risk
• Negative Sentiment: At roughly 32 times earnings and near its 52-week high, PKG’s valuation leaves less room for execution missteps. Some analysts view the shares as expensive despite PCA’s strong balance sheet, operating performance, and above-consensus guidance. 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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