DailyIQ
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Sector:Consumer CyclicalAll sectors
Last updated just now

PKG·Packaging Corporation of America

$.
+. (+.%)
After Hours
High
$219.30
Open
$216.01
Market Cap
19.37B
52W High
$249.51
Low
$215.88
P. Close
$218.92
P/E
26.13
52W Low
$184.76
Fwd P/E
17.86
Mean Target
$235.90
Technical Score (1D)
68
BUY
News Sentiment
62
BULLISH
Packaging Corp. (PKG) is currently facing headwinds, as indicated by a Zacks Rank of #4 (Sell), suggesting potential negative earnings estimate revisions. This contrasts with competitor Karat Packing (KRT), which holds a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). Investors seeking value in the paper and packaging sector are evaluating both companies, with the current quantitative metrics leaning towards KRT. The Zacks system, which considers earnings estimate revisions, points to KRT as potentially offering a better value proposition at this time. This divergence in rankings highlights differing analyst sentiment and outlooks for the two packaging companies. Investors should monitor earnings reports and analyst commentary for both KRT and PKG to understand the drivers behind these contrasting valuations. The broader packaging sector may see shifts in investor preference based on these individual company performances.
Earnings Summary
Packaging Corporation of America (PKG) is a prominent North American producer of containerboard and uncoated freesheet paper, operating within the Consumer Cyclical sector's Packaging & Containers industry. The company's business is structured around its Packaging segment, which manufactures corrugated packaging solutions for various industries, and its Paper segment, which produces commodity and specialty papers. PKG, with a history dating back to 1867, provides essential products through a direct sales and marketing approach. In its most recent reported quarters, PKG demonstrated a mixed EPS performance against estimates. For Q1 2026, the company reported an actual EPS of $2.40 against an estimate of $2.16, marking a beat. This followed a Q4 2025 where actual EPS was $2.32, missing the estimate of $2.43. Revenue trends have shown some fluctuation; Q1 2026 revenue was $2.37 billion against an estimate of $2.44 billion, a miss, while Q4 2025 revenue was $2.36 billion, beating the estimate of $2.46 billion. The company's revenue has generally hovered around the $2.14 billion to $2.37 billion mark in the recent quarters for which data is available. Historically, PKG has shown a pattern of revenue growth, with Q3 2025 revenue reaching $2.31 billion, a notable increase from prior periods. The company has experienced both beats and misses on EPS estimates, with Q1 2026 being a recent beat and Q4 2025 a miss. Recent news indicates positive analyst sentiment, with UBS upgrading PKG to a Buy rating and raising its price target, suggesting increased confidence in future performance. Additionally, PKG announced a dividend increase, signaling financial stability and a commitment to shareholder returns, which aligns with the sector's strong Q1 results that exceeded revenue estimates, driven partly by the growing demand for eco-friendly packaging solutions. Investors will be watching for PKG's ability to sustain its revenue growth trajectory and continue to meet or exceed analyst expectations for both earnings per share and revenue in upcoming quarters, particularly in light of the positive analyst outlook and the ongoing demand for sustainable packaging options.

EPS

EstBeatMiss
$2.06$2.27$2.49$2.70$2.92Q1'25Q2'25Q3'25Q4'25Q1'26Q2'26
QtrEstActual+/−
Q2'26$2.35 - -
Q1'26$2.16$2.40+11.1%
Q4'25$2.43$2.32-4.5%
Q3'25$2.82$2.73-3.1%
Q2'25$2.44$2.48+1.5%
Q1'25$2.21$2.31+4.3%

Revenue

EstBeatMiss
$2.1B$2.2B$2.3B$2.5B$2.6BQ1'25Q2'25Q3'25Q4'25Q1'26Q2'26
QtrEstActual+/−
Q2'26$2.5B - -
Q1'26$2.4B$2.4B-3.0%
Q4'25$2.5B$2.4B-4.0%
Q3'25 - $2.3B -
Q2'25 - $2.2B -
Q1'25 - $2.1B -
Full Earnings BreakdownEstimates, actuals, guidance, and historical context
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Market Data

PKG Stock Snapshot

PKG is currently trading at $218.91, giving Packaging Corporation of America a market cap of 19.37B and a P/E ratio of 26.1. Today's range spans $215.88–$219.30, with shares opening at $216.01 and moving down $0.01 (0.0%) from the prior close. DailyIQ's technical score sits at 68/100 (BUY) with a news sentiment reading of 62/100.

Over the past year PKG has traded between $184.76 and $249.51 - the current price is +18.5% off the 52-week low and -12.3% from the high. 18 analysts cover the stock with a Hold consensus and a mean 12-month target of $235.90 (range $167.00–$258.00), implying upside of +7.8%.

Packaging Corporation of America (PKG) sits at $218.91 (in the middle of its 52-week range within $184.76–$249.51), scoring 68/100 (BUY) with bullish sentiment at 62/100. At 19.37B in Consumer Cyclical market cap (P/E: 26.1), this large-cap is right in the zone where buy-side analysts get excited and allocation committees approve new position additions. A bullish technical phase with sentiment confirmation is the green light most of them are looking for.

What makes PKG's BUY setup (68/100) particularly actionable at 19.37B in Consumer Cyclical capitalization is the scale-to-move ratio: large enough to feature on institutional mandates but not so large that the percentage upside is already compressed by index inertia. At $218.91 (in the middle of its 52-week range in $184.76–$249.51), with sentiment running bullish at 62/100, the setup rewards conviction-sized positioning more than it does speculative small bets.