Where it trades today
trading 60% of the way up its 52-week range
How the price has moved
What to weigh before acting
What Matters Now
- Packaging Corp of America should be monitored through the lens of its industry cycle, capital allocation, and relative positioning against listed peers.
- PKG trades at 30.2x earnings, well above the basic materials average of 14.0x, so the market is already pricing in above-consensus execution.
- Recent realized volatility sits near 23.0%, below the sector norm of 28.0%, which supports a steadier role inside a diversified portfolio.
- PKG remains in a bearish short-term trend and sits 10.5% below its high, which raises the bar for any thesis that depends on fast multiple expansion.
Portfolio Use Case
- PKG is more relevant for investors who want some income support alongside price appreciation, not just pure growth exposure.
- The beta profile suggests it can fit a quality or lower-volatility sleeve more naturally than a high-octane tactical basket.
- This page is most useful for deciding whether the stock deserves a permanent slot in the portfolio or just a place on the watchlist.
What Would Change the View
- A reset in earnings expectations or a faster peer catch-up could compress the premium valuation currently embedded in PKG.
- A recovery in price alone would not be enough to improve the view; the thesis needs confirmation from improving business or valuation signals.
- The view would need revisiting if peers such as LIN, APD, ECL start winning the marginal flow or posting cleaner operating momentum.
Methodology
- Price, market cap, beta, yield, and liquidity fields for PKG come from Yahoo Finance quote and summary data.
- 30-day volatility is calculated from recent daily returns and annualized using a 252-trading-day convention.
- Sector context uses stored benchmark averages for Basic Materials so each page compares the ticker against a stable peer baseline rather than against the whole market.
- Peer comparisons use the Portfolio Terminal coverage set and highlight nearby listed alternatives such as LIN, APD, ECL.
Sources
- Yahoo Finance quote dataopen →
Live quote, valuation, beta, yield, and volume fields used for PKG. Last refresh: Sep 18, 2026, 10:56 PM.
- Portfolio Terminal methodologyopen →
Explains how analytics, refresh cadence, and portfolio interpretation work across the product.
- Peer set and coverage context
Comparative context for this page is anchored around nearby tracked names such as LIN, APD, ECL.
What Packaging Corp of America does
Packaging Corporation of America manufactures and sells containerboard and uncoated freesheet (UFS) paper products in North America. The company operates through Packaging and Paper segments. The Packaging segment offers various linerboard and corrugated packaging products, such as conventional shipping containers used to protect and transport manufactured goods; multi-color boxes and displays that help to merchandise the packaged product in retail locations; and honeycomb protective packaging products, as well as packaging for meat, fresh fruit and vegetables, processed food, beverages, and other industrial and consumer products. This segment sells its corrugated products through a direct…
Employees
16,800
Industry
Packaging & Containers
Headquarters
Lake Forest, United States
What analysts expect
PKG carries a buy consensus from 10 analysts, with an average price target of $258.50 versus $232.77 today (+11.1%). Targets are estimates and can move quickly after earnings.
Consensus aggregated by Yahoo Finance. Targets are estimates, not forecasts.
How the business is doing
PKG generated $9.53B in trailing revenue (14.7% year over year), with a 7.3% net margin, and $432.95M of free cash flow, against $3.81B of net debt.
The numbers, year by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Gross profit | Operating income | Net income | EPS | Free cash flow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $8.99B | $1.89B | $1.26B | $774.10M | $8.61 | $728.60M |
| 2024 | $8.38B | $1.78B | $1.17B | $805.10M | $8.97 | $521.50M |
| 2023 | $7.80B | $1.70B | $1.12B | $765.20M | $8.52 | $845.40M |
| 2022 | $8.48B | $2.09B | $1.48B | $1.03B | $11.08 | $670.80M |
When it reports next
Estimates aggregated by Yahoo Finance. Dates move and estimates change until the report lands.
How it sits in basic materials
Commodity-driven sector including mining, chemicals, and construction materials.
The companies it competes with
PKG beside the basic materials names it is usually measured against.
What the chart is saying
Packaging Corp of America trades at $232.77, 10.5% below its 52-week high. With a beta of 0.80, it shows less sensitivity to what the wider market does.
Questions people ask about it
Is PKG a good buy right now?
Packaging Corp of America trades at 30.2x earnings. This is above market average, reflecting growth expectations. Current risk level is Medium based on 23.0% volatility.
Does PKG pay dividends?
Yes, Packaging Corp of America offers a dividend yield of 2.55%. That is roughly $5.94 per share a year.
How volatile is PKG?
With 30-day annualized volatility of 23.0% and beta of 0.80, PKG is classified as Medium risk. The stock tends to be more stable than the market average.
What is the analyst price target for PKG?
The average analyst price target for Packaging Corp of America (PKG) is $258.50 based on 10 analyst estimates, about 11.1% above the current price of $232.77. The published range runs from $167.00 to $312.00.
How much revenue does PKG generate?
Packaging Corp of America reported $9.53B in trailing twelve-month revenue. Revenue growth is running at 14.7% year over year. Net margin sits at 7.3%. Figures are aggregated from company filings by Yahoo Finance and refresh on an hourly cadence.