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. 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

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on PKG shares. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on Packaging Corporation of America from $246.00 to $245.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 7th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Packaging Corporation of America from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 25th. Truist Financial reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $294.00 price objective (up from $280.00) on shares of Packaging Corporation of America in a research note on Friday. UBS Group dropped their target price 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. Finally, Citigroup cut their target price on shares of Packaging Corporation of America from $254.00 to $253.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 2nd. 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. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $274.14.

Packaging Corporation of America Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:PKG opened at $247.46 on Friday. 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 twelve month low of $191.50 and a twelve month high of $259.98. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $237.01 and its 200-day moving average is $230.90. The firm has a market capitalization of $22.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.47, a PEG ratio of 2.02 and a beta of 0.75.

Packaging Corporation of America (NYSE:PKG) last issued its earnings results 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 company had revenue of $2.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.61 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.73 EPS. Packaging Corporation of America’s quarterly revenue was up 12.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts forecast that Packaging Corporation of America will post 10.48 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Packaging Corporation of America Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th were paid a $1.50 dividend. This represents a $6.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, September 15th. Packaging Corporation of America’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 73.89%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, VP Donald R. Shirley sold 12,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the vice president owned 19,110 shares in the company, valued at $4,791,068.10. This represents a 38.57% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, President Thomas A. Hassfurther sold 12,531 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $250.00, for a total transaction of $3,132,750.00. Following the completion of the sale, the president owned 218,751 shares in the company, valued at $54,687,750. This represents a 5.42% 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. Insiders own 1.60% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Packaging Corporation of America

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

• Positive Sentiment: PKG reported third-quarter EPS of $3.04, ahead of the $2.93 consensus, while revenue rose 12.5% year over year to approximately $2.60 billion. Favorable pricing and product mix, higher box shipments and contributions from the Greif operations helped drive the earnings beat. Packaging Corp Q3 Earnings Beat Estimates on Favorable Price & Mix
• Positive Sentiment: The company guided to fourth-quarter EPS of $2.81, modestly above the $2.78 analyst consensus. Price increases, shipment growth and continued cost discipline are supporting expectations for profitable growth. Packaging Corporation of America Signals Profitable Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts raised their targets while maintaining favorable ratings: Truist reaffirmed “buy” and increased its target to $294 from $280, JPMorgan raised its target to $322 from $320 with an “overweight” rating, and Deutsche Bank lifted its target to $298 from $270 while maintaining “buy.”
• Neutral Sentiment: PKG’s acquisition of Greif’s corrugated packaging operations is increasing shipments and earnings, but investors will continue to monitor integration progress and the durability of those benefits.
• Negative Sentiment: Freight and other cost pressures, along with planned maintenance outages, are expected to partially offset pricing and volume gains in the fourth quarter. A valuation-focused analysis also cautions that PKG’s strong operating performance may already be reflected in its share price. Packaging Corporation of America: A Good Company Isn’t Always A Good Stock

About Packaging Corporation of America

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.