Packaging Corporation of America produces containerboard products and uncoated freesheet (UFS) paper in North America.
Segments
The company operates through three segments: Packaging, Paper, and Corporate and Other.
Packaging
Packaging Products…
Analysis
Hope premium
Packaging Corporation of America carries what we call a hope premium: an average business trading at an ambitious price. One caution: reported profits have recently run ahead of actual cash, which we track closely.
The price is expensive. You pay 36.9× its owner earnings: the cash an owner could take out each year, which is in the historically expensive zone. At today's price, the market is assuming roughly 14% yearly growth; analysts expect 10%. The gap between price and consensus is worth watching: demanding expectations.
The trajectory is solid and the balance sheet is adequate. The company scores 12/20 on our value-creation score: creating some value.
What to watch: The financial cushion is thinner than comfortable. Reported profits have run ahead of actual cash for several periods. As always: this describes the company's numbers; it is not a recommendation.
360° rank · history
1007550250
Jan 202311
80
2023202420252026
All-time high
89
Mar 2026
All-time low
11
Jan 2023
Average rank
65
across all years
Detailed & Historical Ranks
Deep dive into 15 detailed ranks and 3 years of history.
Current202520242023
Price/Sales
26
19
9
31
Price/Earnings
17
23
17
35
Price/Book
19
20
20
28
Dividend Yield
75
69
73
87
Value (overall)
16
9
10
23
Cells are coloured by rank band (red weak → green strong). Sentiment & 360° history begins 2023.