Packaging Corporation of America (NYSE:PKG) Issues Q4 2026 Earnings Guidance

Packaging Corporation of America (NYSE:PKG) issued an update on its fourth quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Friday morning. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 2.810-2.810 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 2.780.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have commented on the stock. Citigroup dropped their price objective on shares of Packaging Corporation of America from $254.00 to $253.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on shares of Packaging Corporation of America from $246.00 to $245.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 7th. UBS Group lowered their price target on shares of Packaging Corporation of America from $292.00 to $289.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, October 5th. Bank of America dropped their price target on shares of Packaging Corporation of America from $280.00 to $260.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, September 11th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of Packaging Corporation of America from $320.00 to $322.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $272.14.

Packaging Corporation of America Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:PKG traded down $1.21 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $247.71. 188,822 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 802,513. The company has a quick ratio of 1.86, a current ratio of 2.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.85. Packaging Corporation of America has a 12 month low of $191.50 and a 12 month high of $259.98. The firm has a market capitalization of $22.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 0.75. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $237.17 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $230.79.

Packaging Corporation of America (NYSE:PKG) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 21st. The industrial products company reported $3.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.93 by $0.11. Packaging Corporation of America had a return on equity of 19.63% and a net margin of 7.40%. The business had revenue of $2.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.61 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.73 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 12.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts expect that Packaging Corporation of America will post 10.45 earnings per share for the current year.

Packaging Corporation of America Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th were given a dividend of $1.50 per share. This represents a $6.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, September 15th. Packaging Corporation of America’s payout ratio is 77.92%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, VP Donald R. Shirley sold 12,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $250.71, for a total value of $3,008,520.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president owned 19,110 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,791,068.10. This represents a 38.57% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, President Thomas A. Hassfurther sold 7,063 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $254.00, for a total transaction of $1,794,002.00. Following the transaction, the president directly owned 202,891 shares in the company, valued at approximately $51,534,314. This represents a 3.36% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 40,391 shares of company stock worth $10,196,101 over the last ninety days. 1.60% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Key Packaging Corporation of America News

Here are the key news stories impacting Packaging Corporation of America this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly earnings beat expectations: PKG reported third-quarter adjusted EPS of $3.04, above the $2.93 consensus estimate and up from $2.73 a year earlier. Revenue increased 12.5% year over year to approximately $2.6 billion, supported by favorable price and product mix, higher shipments, and contributions from the Greif operations. Packaging Corporation of America Reports Third Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Above-consensus fourth-quarter outlook: Management updated fourth-quarter 2026 EPS guidance to $2.81, slightly ahead of the $2.78 analyst consensus. Expected benefits from price increases and continued cost discipline support the constructive outlook. Packaging Corporation of America Reports Earnings Results
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support increased: Deutsche Bank raised its price target to $298 from $270 while maintaining a Buy rating, reinforcing expectations for further upside. Deutsche Bank Raises Packaging Corporation of America Price Target
• Neutral Sentiment: The Greif integration and resilient margins indicate profitable growth, but investors are also focused on execution and the company’s ability to sustain favorable pricing and mix. Packaging Corporation of America Signals Profitable Growth
• Negative Sentiment: Costs and valuation remain concerns: Freight and other cost pressures, along with planned maintenance outages, may limit near-term earnings gains. At roughly 32 times earnings and near its 52-week high, some analysts view PKG as expensive despite its strong operating performance. Packaging Corporation of America: A Good Company Isn’t Always a Good Stock

Packaging Corporation of America Company Profile

Packaging Corporation of America (NYSE:PKG) is a manufacturer of corrugated packaging and containerboard products serving businesses primarily in the United States. Its products include shipping boxes, retail packaging, displays, protective packaging and specialty corrugated solutions used to transport and present a broad range of consumer and industrial goods.

The company also produces uncoated freesheet paper and related paper products for commercial printing, office use, publishing, converting and other applications.