Packaging Corporation of America (PKG) Stock Price, Fundamentals & Analysis

What PKG does

Packaging Corporation of America (PKG) manufactures and sells containerboard and uncoated freesheet (UFS) paper products in North America. The company operates through two segments: Packaging, which produces linerboard, corrugated shipping containers, multi-color retail boxes, and honeycomb protective packaging; and Paper, which manufactures commodity and specialty papers, including cut-size office papers and printing and converting papers. PKG is part of the S&P 500 and sits in the Consumer Cyclical sector, Packaging & Containers industry.

Key numbers explained

• 240.98 USD is the current share price, the amount you pay for one share today.
• The trailing P/E ratio of 31.3 shows how much investors pay per dollar of the last twelve months' earnings; a higher number often reflects growth expectations.
• The forward P/E ratio of 18.4 uses expected future earnings and is typically read as a more optimistic valuation measure.
• 7.69 USD is the earnings per share (EPS) over the trailing twelve months, representing the portion of profit allocated to each share.
• The dividend yield of 2.52% tells you the annual cash payout relative to the share price; the ex-dividend date is 15 Sept. 2026.
• 68% of earnings are paid out as dividends, a measure of how much profit the company returns to shareholders.
• Beta of 0.8 suggests the stock has historically been less volatile than the overall market.
• The 52-week price range of 191,5 – 259,98 USD shows the lowest and highest traded prices in the past year, with a 10.6% gain over that period.

Recent news

Headlines indicate that JPMorgan raised its price target on Packaging Corporation of America to 320 from 312 while keeping an Overweight rating. Other stories ask whether PKG is underperforming the Nasdaq and what is drawing fresh attention to the stock, noting its 91% five-year gain. A scheduled conference call will discuss the company's third quarter 2026 operating results.

What to watch

PKG's performance is tied to consumer demand for packaging and paper, raw material costs, and interest rates that affect capital-intensive operations. Because it competes with peers such as LyondellBasell (LYB), Amcor (AMCR), and International Paper (IP), shifts in their pricing and capacity can affect PKG. Investors also monitor the upcoming earnings date of 21 Oct. 2026 and the company's debt-to-equity ratio of 94.5%, which reflects a leveraged balance sheet typical of the sector.