Zacks Research Has Bearish Estimate for PKG Q3 Earnings

Key Points

• Zacks Research lowered its Q3 2026 EPS estimate for Packaging Corporation of America to $3.07 from $3.11, signaling a more cautious outlook ahead of the quarter.
• Wall Street remains generally positive on PKG, with an average "Moderate Buy" rating and an average price target of $241.83, despite some mixed rating changes from analysts.
• The company recently raised its quarterly dividend to $1.50 per share, or $6.00 annually, which implies a 2.5% yield and reflects a boost from the prior $1.25 payout.

Packaging Corporation of America (NYSE:PKG - Free Report) - Stock analysts at Zacks Research reduced their Q3 2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of Packaging Corporation of America in a research report issued on Friday, June 26th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the industrial products company will earn $3.07 per share for the quarter, down from their prior forecast of $3.11. The consensus estimate for Packaging Corporation of America's current full-year earnings is $10.45 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Packaging Corporation of America's Q4 2026 earnings at $2.62 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $10.42 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $2.82 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $2.79 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $3.33 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $3.14 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $12.08 EPS and Q1 2028 earnings at $3.13 EPS.

Several other research firms have also commented on PKG. Truist Financial restated a "buy" rating and issued a $258.00 price target (down from $260.00) on shares of Packaging Corporation of America in a report on Monday, April 27th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Packaging Corporation of America from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 26th. UBS Group raised shares of Packaging Corporation of America from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $232.00 to $248.00 in a research report on Wednesday, May 20th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of Packaging Corporation of America from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and raised their target price for the company from $225.00 to $256.00 in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of Packaging Corporation of America from $225.00 to $246.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Packaging Corporation of America has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $241.83.

Packaging Corporation of America Stock Up 0.0%

Shares of NYSE:PKG opened at $241.63 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87, a quick ratio of 1.88 and a current ratio of 3.07. Packaging Corporation of America has a 1 year low of $187.41 and a 1 year high of $249.51. The stock has a market capitalization of $21.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.40, a PEG ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 0.81. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $221.02 and a 200-day simple moving average of $218.97.

Packaging Corporation of America (NYSE:PKG - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, April 22nd. The industrial products company reported $2.40 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.17 by $0.23. The firm had revenue of $2.37 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.45 billion. Packaging Corporation of America had a return on equity of 19.27% and a net margin of 8.04%.The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 10.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.31 earnings per share. Packaging Corporation of America has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.330-2.330 EPS.

Packaging Corporation of America Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be issued a $1.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. This represents a $6.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.5%. This is a boost from Packaging Corporation of America's previous quarterly dividend of $1.25. Packaging Corporation of America's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 72.99%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Packaging Corporation of America news, CEO Mark W. Kowlzan sold 9,266 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $217.08, for a total value of $2,011,463.28. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 473,610 shares of the company's stock, valued at $102,811,258.80. This trade represents a 1.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 1.60% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. DV Equities LLC acquired a new stake in Packaging Corporation of America during the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp acquired a new position in Packaging Corporation of America in the 3rd quarter worth $31,000. Covestor Ltd lifted its holdings in Packaging Corporation of America by 140.0% in the 4th quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 156 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 91 shares in the last quarter. Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych PZU SA boosted its position in Packaging Corporation of America by 94.1% in the 4th quarter. Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych PZU SA now owns 165 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 80 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Navalign LLC purchased a new position in Packaging Corporation of America in the 4th quarter valued at about $36,000. 89.78% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Packaging Corporation of America Company Profile

Packaging Corporation of America NYSE: PKG is a leading North American manufacturer of containerboard and corrugated packaging products. The company produces a range of paper-based packaging solutions including linerboard, corrugating medium, corrugated shipping containers, retail-ready packaging and point-of-purchase displays. In addition to core packaging products, Packaging Corporation of America offers packaging design, testing and supply-chain services intended to optimize protection, cost and sustainability for customers.

Headquartered in Lake Forest, Illinois, the company operates an integrated network of mills and corrugated manufacturing facilities across the United States and serves customers throughout North America in industries such as e-commerce, grocery and food & beverage, consumer packaged goods and industrial markets.

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