PKG
Packaging Corporation of America
$234.03
▲ 2.2%Updated Today 7:15 PM ET
▲ Up 23.0% over the last 12 months
Market Cap
$20.41B
P/E
27.69x
Forward P/E (est.)
32.2x
ROE
16.0%
Revenue Growth
7.9%
EPS Growth
-14.0%
Profit Margin
8.0%
FCF Yield
6.3%
Debt / Equity
0.86x
ROIC
10.0%
Interest Coverage
—
Current Ratio
3.07x
Dividend Yield
2.6%
Implied Growth (rev. DCF)
5.2%
Rating Score
43/100
Technical analysis reads price and volume to judge momentum and timing. It complements the fundamentals above — it does not replace them. Here is what PKG's chart says today, with each tool explained.
Trend — moving averages. A moving average is the average closing price over a window, which smooths out daily noise. PKG trades near $234.03, above its 50-day average ($217.49) and 200-day average ($214.12). Price above both averages, with the shorter one above the longer, is the textbook definition of an uptrend — momentum favours buyers.
Momentum — RSI. The Relative Strength Index runs 0–100 and measures how strong recent gains are versus losses. Above 70 is "overbought", below 30 "oversold". At 62 it is in neutral territory — neither stretched nor washed out.
MACD. MACD compares two moving averages to flag shifts in momentum. Its histogram is currently positive — short-term momentum is improving.
Volatility — ATR. Average True Range is the typical daily move. PKG's is $6.32 (~2.7% of price), so swings of about that size each day are normal — handy for setting a stop that isn't too tight.
Support & resistance. Over the last month PKG found buyers near $205.11 (support) and sellers near $233.19 (resistance); its 52-week range is $184.76–$249.51. A decisive break beyond either edge often marks the next move.
Volume. The latest session traded 0.8× the 20-day average — about normal. Rising volume on up-days suggests real buying; on down-days, real selling.
Educational information to help you read a chart — not a recommendation or a forecast. It updates daily as the price and indicators change.
Packaging Corporation of America (PKG) is a large-cap company in the Paper & Plastic Packaging Products & Materials industry, part of the Materials sector of the S&P 500, with a market value around $20.41B.
In its latest reported year it generated about $8.99B in revenue and $774.10M in net profit.
Our model rates PKG Neutral (43/100) on growth, profitability, financial health, and valuation. The summary below is built from its filed financials and current ratios and refreshes automatically.
4Y CAGR
3.8%
Revenue moved from $7.73B in 2021 to $8.99B in 2025, a 3.8% compound annual growth rate. The most recent year grew a steady 7.9% year over year. Slower, mature growth is common for established businesses.
Gross Margin
21.0%
Operating Margin
12.3%
Net Margin
8.6%
ROE
16.0%
Packaging Corporation of America keeps about 8.0% of each sales dollar as net profit, with a 21.0% gross margin and 12.3% operating margin. Return on equity is 16.0% and return on invested capital about 10.0%. Margins are moderate — typical of a competitive but profitable business.
Total Debt
$3.99B
Net Debt
$3.60B
Net Debt / EBITDA
3.25x
Debt / Equity
0.86x
Leverage: debt-to-equity is 0.9x, with a current ratio of 3.1x. That is a moderate, manageable debt load for most businesses. It carries roughly $3.99B of total debt against $397.10M of cash.
Operating CF
$1.56B
Free Cash Flow
$728.60M
FCF Margin
8.1%
In the latest year Packaging Corporation of America produced about $1.56B of operating cash flow and $728.60M of free cash flow after capital spending. That is a free-cash-flow yield of about 6.3% on today's price. Strong cash generation funds dividends, buybacks, and reinvestment.
P/E
27.69x
P/S
2.29x
P/B
4.03x
EV / EBITDA
13.67x
PKG trades at 27.7x trailing earnings (about 32.2x on estimated forward earnings), 2.3x sales, and 4.0x book value. Reverse-engineering today's price implies the market expects roughly 5.2% long-term free-cash-flow growth. That is a premium multiple that needs growth to justify it.
Where this stock sits versus what most companies trade at.
Typical ranges are general references (e.g., many stocks trade at ~18–26x earnings), not hard rules. Context only — not investment advice.
How PKG stacks up against its Materials peers — valuation, profitability, and growth versus the sector median.
In the Materials sector (26 S&P 500 companies), PKG ranks #17 of 26 by our overall rating. It trades at roughly in line versus the sector on earnings (27.7x P/E vs. 27.7x median) with a higher return on equity (16.0% vs. 14.1%) and faster revenue growth (7.9% vs. 4.9%).
P/E vs sector
27.7x
median 27.7x
ROE vs sector
16.0%
median 14.1%
Growth vs sector
7.9%
median 4.9%
Sector rank
#17
of 26 by rating
Valuation vs. quality map
The sweet spot is upper-left: more profitable (higher ROE) for a lower P/E. Dashed lines mark the sector median.
Peers are the closest Materials companies by sub-industry and size. Sector median is across all 26 S&P 500 names in the sector. Educational, not a recommendation.
Project revenue → earnings → price. Edit the assumptions to build your own case.
2030 price target (Base Case)
$226.81 – $373.57
vs. $234.03 today · expected CAGR -1% – 10%
| Metric | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | 2030 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $9.71B | $10.49B | $11.32B | $12.23B | $13.21B |
| Net income | $873.76M | $943.66M | $1.02B | $1.10B | $1.19B |
| EPS | $9.81 | $10.59 | $11.44 | $12.35 | $13.34 |
| Share price (low) | $166.71 | $180.05 | $194.45 | $210.01 | $226.81 |
| Share price (high) | $274.59 | $296.55 | $320.28 | $345.90 | $373.57 |
| CAGR (low–high) | -29% / 17% | -12% / 13% | -6% / 11% | -3% / 10% | -1% / 10% |
Educational model on sample fundamentals — not a forecast or investment advice. Outputs are only as good as your assumptions.
The case for PKG:
- Strong return on equity (16.0%) shows capital is put to work well.
- Healthy free-cash-flow yield (~6.3%) funds buybacks and dividends.
- Pays a 2.6% dividend on top of any price gains.
The case against PKG:
- Like any single stock, it is exposed to competition, the economic cycle, and shifts in its end markets.
Market risk — sector rotation, the economic cycle, and broad sentiment move the stock regardless of fundamentals.
On balance, the picture is mixed: Packaging Corporation of America is a large-cap materials business growing at a mature pace, with modest profitability, and a heavier debt load to watch. It trades at 27.7x earnings, which our model scores Neutral (43/100). Weigh this against your own goals and time horizon — this is educational information, not a recommendation.
Data notice. Fundamentals and financial statements are sourced from company filings (SEC EDGAR) and market-data providers; prices and market caps refresh on trading days and may be delayed. Ratings, projections, technical signals, and written summaries are model- or rule-generated for education and may simplify or lag the latest filings.
Not advice. Nothing on this page is investment advice or a recommendation to buy, hold, or sell any security. Do your own research and consult a licensed financial professional before investing.