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SW

S&P 500
Weak · 12/100

Smurfit Westrock

Materials
Paper & Plastic Packaging Products & Materials

$47.97

2.2%

Updated Aug 7, 11:30 AM ET

Report Card

SW at a glance — five pillars scored 0–100 from real filed financials.

Value
0
Growth
0
Profitability
0
Health
0
Dividends
0

Overall: Weak · 12/100. A wider, greener shape means more pillars look healthy. Dividends scores 0 when a company pays none — that is a choice, not a flaw.

Price — Past Year

▲ Up 4.3% over the last 12 months

Price 50-day average 200-day averageDCF fair value ±15%Source: Yahoo Finance · refreshed daily
Key Metrics

Market Cap

$24.01B

P/E

66.69x

Forward P/E (est.)

95.27x

ROE

2.1%

Revenue Growth

-20.7%

EPS Growth

-52.2%

Profit Margin

1.2%

FCF Yield

Debt / Equity

0.75x

ROIC

4.0%

Interest Coverage

Current Ratio

1.44x

Dividend Yield

4.1%

Implied Growth (rev. DCF)

3.8%

Rating Score

12/100

Business Overview
Research

Smurfit Westrock (SW) 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 $24.01B.

In its latest reported year it generated about $31.18B in revenue and $699.00M in net profit.

Our model rates SW Weak (12/100) on growth, profitability, financial health, and valuation. The summary below is built from its filed financials and current ratios and refreshes automatically.

Technical Analysis (Educational)
Research

Technical analysis reads price and volume to judge momentum and timing. It complements the fundamentals above — it does not replace them. Here is what SW'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. SW trades near $47.97, above its 50-day average ($41.48) and 200-day average ($41.00). 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 67 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. SW's is $1.79 (~3.7% 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 SW found buyers near $38.16 (support) and sellers near $47.86 (resistance); its 52-week range is $32.73–$52.65. 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.

Revenue Growth
Research

3Y CAGR

32.2%

0/4 checks passedRevenue growingRevenue growth beats sector midpointEPS growingEPS growing faster than revenue

Revenue moved from $13.51B in 2022 to $31.18B in 2025, a 32.2% compound annual growth rate. The most recent year declined 20.7% year over year. Shrinking revenue is worth a closer look — is it cyclical or structural?

Profitability
Research
1/4 checks passedProfitableNet margin above sector midpointROE above 12%ROIC above 10%

Gross Margin

19.4%

Operating Margin

5.5%

Net Margin

2.2%

ROE

2.1%

Smurfit Westrock keeps about 1.2% of each sales dollar as net profit, with a 19.4% gross margin and 5.5% operating margin. Return on equity is 2.1% and return on invested capital about 4.0%. Thin margins leave less cushion if costs rise.

Debt Analysis
Research
3/3 checks passedDebt under 1× equityDebt under 2× equityShort-term bills covered

Total Debt

$13.22B

Net Debt

$12.55B

Net Debt / EBITDA

7.3x

Debt / Equity

0.75x

Leverage: debt-to-equity is 0.8x, with a current ratio of 1.4x. That is a moderate, manageable debt load for most businesses. It carries roughly $13.22B of total debt against $674.00M of cash.

Cash Flow Analysis
Research
1/1 checks passedMarket expects achievable growth (<8%)

Operating CF

$3.39B

Free Cash Flow

$1.20B

FCF Margin

3.8%

In the latest year Smurfit Westrock produced about $3.39B of operating cash flow and $1.20B of free cash flow after capital spending. Cash flow is what ultimately pays shareholders, so it is worth tracking over time.

Dividend Safety

Can the payout survive a bad year? Scored from filed cash flow, earnings coverage, and the raise/cut record.

At RiskSafety score: 41/100

Coverage is weak, the payout was cut recently, or it's being financed rather than earned — treat the current yield as fragile.

Dividend yield

4.1%

Per share (latest FY)

$1.72

Total paid (latest FY)

$900.00M

History on record

4 years

Free-cash-flow coverage42/100

dividend uses 75% of free cash flow

Earnings payout ratio0/100

129% of net income paid out

Raise streak38/100

total dividends increased 3 years in a row

Cut history100/100

no cuts in the last 4 years on record

Coverage uses the latest fiscal year as filed with the SEC; the streak counts total dollars paid (per-share figures can carry split artifacts). Educational information, not income advice.

Valuation Analysis
Research
1/4 checks passedPositive earnings (P/E meaningful)P/E below sector's upper bandForward P/E below trailing (earnings growing)Trading below DCF fair value

P/E

66.69x

P/S

0.75x

P/B

1.2x

EV / EBITDA

SW trades at 66.7x trailing earnings (about 95.3x on estimated forward earnings), 0.7x sales, and 1.2x book value. Reverse-engineering today's price implies the market expects roughly 3.8% long-term free-cash-flow growth. That is a rich multiple that prices in a lot of future growth.

DCF Fair Value (Educational)

A two-stage discounted cash flow on real SEC-filed free cash flow — the intrinsic-value anchor professional analysts triangulate from.

DCF fair value / share

$23.48

Current price

$47.97

-51% · Above fair-value estimate

Starting FCF (latest 10-K)

$1.20B

Growth, years 1–5

-5.0%

Fade to terminal, years 6–10

2.5%

Discount rate

9.0%

PV of 10-yr free cash flow$6.29B
PV of terminal value$6.03B
Estimated equity value$12.31B
Shares outstanding524M

Cash flows grow at the stage-1 rate (trailing revenue growth, capped at 20%) for five years, fade to 2.5% by year 10, and continue at that rate forever (Gordon terminal value), all discounted at 9.0%. Small changes in assumptions move the result a lot — treat this as one reference point, not a target price. Educational only, not investment advice.

Metrics vs. Sector Range

Where SW sits versus its Materials sector peers in the S&P 500.

TTM P/E
66.7xExpensive
Forward P/E
95.3xExpensive
P/S ratio
0.7xCheap
Revenue growth
-20.7%Weak
EPS growth
-52.2%Weak
Gross margin
19.4%Weak
Net margin
1.2%Weak
ROE
2.1%Weak

Bands show the middle half (25th–75th percentile) of the 54 Materials companies in the S&P 500 — the peer-relative anchor professional comps analysis uses. Context only — not investment advice.

Sector Peer Comparison

How SW stacks up against its Materials peers — valuation, profitability, and growth versus the sector median.

In the Materials sector (78 S&P 500 companies), SW ranks #54 of 78 by our overall rating. It trades at a premium versus the sector on earnings (66.7x P/E vs. 22.7x median) with a lower return on equity (2.1% vs. 16.1%) and slower revenue growth (-20.7% vs. 7.9%).

P/E vs sector

66.7x

median 22.7x

ROE vs sector

2.1%

median 16.1%

Growth vs sector

-20.7%

median 7.9%

Sector rank

#54

of 78 by rating

CompanyP/ERev Gr.Rating
SWThis stock66.7x-20.7%Weak· 12
PKG30.9x7.9%Neutral· 43
AMCR32.2x64.8%Neutral· 52
IP-5.8%Weak· 26
AVY19.6x2.9%Neutral· 50
IFF25.5x-5.6%Weak· 38
SQM24.2x18.3%Favorable· 70
PAAS15.4x33.7%Strong· 85
Materials median22.7x7.9%45/100

Valuation vs. quality map

sector medianPKGAMCRAVYIFFSQMPAASSWP/E — cheaper ←→ pricierROE — more profitable ↑

The sweet spot is upper-left: more profitable (higher ROE) for a lower P/E. Dashed lines mark the sector median.

Compare side by side

Peers are the closest Materials companies by sub-industry and size. Sector median is across all 78 S&P 500 names in the sector. Educational, not a recommendation.

5-Year Projection Model

Project revenue → earnings → price. Edit the assumptions to build your own case.

2030 price target (Base Case)

$0.00 $0.00

vs. $47.97 today · expected CAGR 13%25%

Metric20262027202820292030
Revenue$32.11B$33.08B$34.07B$35.09B$36.15B
Net income$963.43M$992.33M$1.02B$1.05B$1.08B
EPS$1.92$1.98$2.04$2.10$2.17
Share price (low)$76.98$79.29$81.67$84.12$86.64
Share price (high)$128.95$132.81$136.80$140.90$145.13
CAGR (low–high)60% / 169%29% / 66%19% / 42%15% / 31%13% / 25%

Educational model on sample fundamentals — not a forecast or investment advice. Outputs are only as good as your assumptions.

Bull Case

The case for SW:

  • Pays a 4.1% dividend on top of any price gains.
  • As an established S&P 500 member in Materials, it brings scale and a long operating history.
Bear Case

The case against SW:

  • Revenue growth is slow/negative (-20.7%), limiting the upside engine.
  • Thin net margins (1.2%) leave little room for error.
  • A rich 66.7x earnings multiple prices in a lot of growth.
  • Our model's overall read is Weak (12/100).
Key Risks
Research

Valuation risk — at 66.7x earnings, disappointing results could compress the multiple.

Growth risk — sluggish revenue (-20.7%) leaves little margin for execution missteps.

Margin risk — thin profitability (1.2%) is vulnerable to cost or pricing pressure.

Market risk — sector rotation, the economic cycle, and broad sentiment move the stock regardless of fundamentals.

Investment Thesis
Research

On balance, the fundamentals screen weakly: Smurfit Westrock is a large-cap materials business with shrinking revenue, with modest profitability, and a heavier debt load to watch. It trades at 66.7x earnings, which our model scores Weak (12/100). Weigh this against your own goals and time horizon — this is educational information, not a recommendation.

Analyst Ratings

What 26 Wall Street analysts covering SW recommend (August 2026). Consensus is a useful sanity check — not a substitute for your own homework.

Buy
consensus · score 4.2 / 5 across 26 analysts
Strong Buy 7Buy 17Hold 2Sell 0Strong Sell 0

Latest SEC Filings

SW's most recent filings, straight from SEC EDGAR. Annual and quarterly reports are the deep dives; 8-Ks flag material events the moment they happen.

SW — frequently asked questions

Is SW a good stock to buy?

We don't give buy or sell advice. Our model rates Smurfit Westrock Weak (12/100) based on its growth, profitability, financial health, and valuation — use that as a research starting point and make your own decision.

What is SW's rating on The Stocks School?

Smurfit Westrock currently scores 12/100 (Weak) on our transparent model, which weighs real fundamentals: growth, margins, returns on capital, balance-sheet strength, and valuation.

How our ratings work
Where does SW's data come from?

Live price data plus real fundamentals and 5-year financials pulled directly from Smurfit Westrock's SEC filings — refreshed automatically, not hand-entered.

How is the 5-year projection for SW calculated?

It's a scenario model: it grows revenue at an assumed rate, applies a profit margin and a valuation multiple, and shows the resulting share-price range. The assumptions are yours to change — it's a tool for thinking, not a prediction.

Is this SW analysis financial advice?

No. Everything on this page is educational research, not financial advice or a recommendation to buy or sell SW. Always do your own research and consider a licensed professional.

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.