Consumer Cyclical · Packaging & Containers
Price
$241.55
Market Cap
$21.5B
Employees
15,400
Beta
0.84
Avg Volume
762,358
CEO
Mark W. Kowlzan
Business Description
Packaging Corporation of America (PCA) is a U.S.-based enterprise specializing in the production and sale of containerboard and corrugated packaging materials. Its operations are organized into two primary divisions: Packaging and Paper. The Packaging division offers an extensive array of containerboard and corrugated solutions. These encompass conventional shipping containers designed for safeguarding and transporting manufactured goods, vibrant multi-color boxes and point-of-sale displays aimed at enhancing product merchandising in retail environments, and honeycomb protective packaging. This segment also provides specialized packaging for perishable goods like meat and fresh produce, processed foods, beverages, and a broad spectrum of other industrial and consumer products. Its corrugated offerings reach customers through a multi-channel approach, utilizing a dedicated direct sales and marketing team, independent brokers, and various distribution partners. Meanwhile, the Paper segment focuses on manufacturing and distributing a range of commodity and specialty papers. This includes communication papers, such as standard cut-size office paper, along with specialized printing and converting papers. Sales of its white paper products are managed directly by its internal sales and marketing organization. Tracing its origins back to 1867, Packaging Corporation of America maintains its corporate headquarters in Lake Forest, Illinois.
Business History
Price History (1 Year)
Revenue & Net Income Trend
The directional story — useful even when net income is negative.
Revenue
The top line — total sales before any costs or taxes are subtracted. A measure of how much business the company is doing.
Net Income
The bottom line — profit left after subtracting all expenses, interest, and taxes from revenue. Reflects accounting profitability, but includes non-cash items like depreciation, so it isn't the same as cash earned.
Operating Cash Flow
The real cash generated by the day-to-day business — selling products, paying suppliers, collecting from customers. Calculated from net income by adding back non-cash items and adjusting for timing (unpaid bills, unsold inventory). When OCF consistently lags net income, the reported profit may not be converting to real money.
| Period | Revenue | Net Income | Net Margin | YoY/QoQ |
|---|
Key Metrics
API Direct from provider
CALC Derived from statements
P/E Ratio (Price per dollar of earnings)
APIStock Price / EPS (Diluted)
28.85
Stock Price: $241.55
EPS (Diluted): 8.61
EPS (Diluted): 8.61
P/B Ratio (Price vs net asset value)
APIStock Price / Book Value Per Share
4.04
Stock Price: $241.55
Total Equity: $4.60B
Shares: 89,600,000
Total Equity: $4.60B
Shares: 89,600,000
EV/EBITDA (Total value vs operating profit)
APIEnterprise Value / EBITDA
13.73
Market Cap: $21.52B
Total Debt: $4.07B
Cash: $529.00M
EBITDA: $1.76B
Total Debt: $4.07B
Cash: $529.00M
EBITDA: $1.76B
Enterprise Value (Takeover price (cap + debt - cash))
APIMarket Cap + Total Debt - Cash
$22.4B
Market Cap: $21.52B
Total Debt: $4.07B
Cash: $529.00M
Total Debt: $4.07B
Cash: $529.00M
Gross Margin (Revenue left after direct costs)
APIGross Profit / Revenue
21.0%
Gross Profit: $1.89B
Revenue: $8.99B
Revenue: $8.99B
Operating Margin (Revenue left after all operations)
APIOperating Income / Revenue
14.0%
Operating Income: $1.26B
Revenue: $8.99B
Revenue: $8.99B
Net Margin (Revenue left as actual profit)
APINet Income / Revenue
8.6%
Net Income: $768.90M
Revenue: $8.99B
Revenue: $8.99B
ROE (Profit from shareholder equity)
APINet Income / Total Equity
15.9%
Net Income: $768.90M
Total Equity: $4.60B
Total Equity: $4.60B
ROIC (Profit from all invested capital)
APINOPAT / Invested Capital
9.3%
Operating Income: $1.26B
Tax Rate: 24.7%
Equity: $4.60B
Total Debt: $4.07B
Cash: $529.00M
Tax Rate: 24.7%
Equity: $4.60B
Total Debt: $4.07B
Cash: $529.00M
Current Ratio (Can it pay short-term bills)
APICurrent Assets / Current Liabilities
3.17
Current Assets: $3.21B
Current Liabilities: $1.02B
Current Liabilities: $1.02B
Debt/Equity (Leverage — debt vs equity)
CALCTotal Debt / Total Equity
0.89
Short-Term Debt: $102.10M
Long-Term Debt: $3.97B
Total Debt: $4.07B
Total Equity: $4.60B
Long-Term Debt: $3.97B
Total Debt: $4.07B
Total Equity: $4.60B
Rev/Share (Top-line per share)
CALCRevenue / Shares Outstanding
$100.33
Revenue: $8.99B
Shares: 89,600,000
Shares: 89,600,000
Book Value/Share (Net assets per share)
CALC(Total Assets - Total Liabilities) / Shares
$51.32
Total Equity: $4.60B
Shares: 89,600,000
Shares: 89,600,000
FCF/Share (Real cash generated per share)
CALC(Operating Cash Flow + CapEx) / Shares
$8.13
Operating CF: $1.56B
CapEx: -$828.90M
Shares: 89,600,000
CapEx: -$828.90M
Shares: 89,600,000
CapEx is negative (outflow) — added to OCF to get FCF
Div Yield (Annual income from holding)
APILast Annual Dividend / Stock Price
2.4%
Last Dividend: N/A
Stock Price: $241.55
Stock Price: $241.55
Payout Ratio (Earnings paid out as dividends)
Dividends Paid / Net Income
—
Dividends Paid: N/A
Net Income: $768.90M
Net Income: $768.90M
Dividends paid not available in cash flow statement
Industry Benchmarks
Compares PKG against LLM-researched typical ranges for its
industry. One research call per industry, cached indefinitely — every stock in the same industry
reuses the same baseline.
Deep Analysis
Pre-flight intelligence scans the company first, then routes to the right analytical methods.
0
Company Classification
— What type of company is this?
1
Industry Landscape
— Where is the industry headed?
2
Company Momentum
— Where is this company trending?
3
Forward Projection
— 1Y & 2Y projected metrics (requires Layer 1 + 2)
4a
DCF Valuation
— Present value of future cash flows
4b
Earnings Power Value
— Floor value — worth with zero growth
4c
Anchored PE
— Industry PE adjusted for growth differential
4d
Reverse DCF
— What growth is the market pricing in?
4e
Revenue-Based DCF
— For growth/narrative companies (skip if mature earner)
4f
Anchored P/S
— Price-to-Sales peer comparison (skip if mature earner)
4g
Scenario Analysis
— Bull / Base / Bear (skip if mature earner)
4h
Dividend Discount Model
— For dividend/income stocks only
4i
Book Value Analysis
— For deep value / turnaround stocks only
4j
Insider Activity
— Are insiders buying or selling?
4f
Cash Flow Quality
— How trustworthy is the FCF?
4g
Debt Maturity Risk
— Can it handle its debt?
4h
Macro Environment
— Rates, market valuation, volatility
4i
Sector Intelligence
— How does this company compare within its sector?
4j
Revenue Confidence
— How reliable is the growth projection?
4k
Sensitivity Analysis
— How fragile is the fair value estimate?
4l
Sector Demand Cycle
— Is the sector in a boom, steady state, or contraction?
5
AI Investigation
— Adaptive research engine (Claude)
5b
Thesis Evaluation
— What does the market believe? (narrative/platform stocks only)
6
Valuation Synthesis
— Weighted verdict from all methods (requires Layer 4)
Income Statement (Annual)
Last updated: Jun 21, 2026 7:04pm (5d ago)| Metric | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $7.7B | $8.5B | $7.8B | $8.4B | $9.0B |
| Cost of Revenue | $5.9B | $6.4B | $6.1B | $6.6B | $7.1B |
| Gross Profit | $1.9B | $2.1B | $1.7B | $1.8B | $1.9B |
| Operating Expenses | $589.7M | $669.9M | $623.8M | $681.8M | $634.2M |
| Operating Income | $1.3B | $1.4B | $1.1B | $1.1B | $1.3B |
| Net Income | $841.1M | $1.0B | $765.2M | $805.1M | $768.9M |
| EBITDA | $1.7B | $1.9B | $1.6B | $1.6B | $1.8B |
| EPS | $8.87 | $11.07 | $8.52 | $8.97 | $8.61 |
| EPS (Diluted) | — | — | — | — | — |
Balance Sheet (Annual)
Last updated: Jun 21, 2026 7:04pm (5d ago)| Metric | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash & Equivalents | $618.7M | $320.0M | $648.0M | $685.0M | $529.0M |
| Total Current Assets | $2.7B | $2.5B | $3.3B | $3.2B | $3.2B |
| Total Assets | $7.8B | $8.0B | $8.7B | $8.8B | $10.9B |
| Current Liabilities | $884.8M | $875.5M | $1.3B | $1.0B | $1.0B |
| Long-Term Debt | $2.5B | $2.5B | $2.5B | $2.5B | $4.0B |
| Total Liabilities | $4.2B | $4.3B | $4.7B | $4.4B | $6.3B |
| Total Equity | $3.6B | $3.7B | $4.0B | $4.4B | $4.6B |
| Retained Earnings | $3.1B | $3.2B | $3.4B | $3.8B | $3.9B |
Cash Flow (Annual)
Last updated: Jun 21, 2026 7:04pm (5d ago)| Metric | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating Cash Flow | $1.1B | $1.5B | $1.3B | $1.2B | $1.6B |
| Capital Expenditure | -$605.1M | -$824.2M | -$469.7M | -$669.7M | -$828.9M |
| Free Cash Flow | $489.0M | $670.8M | $845.4M | $521.5M | $728.6M |
| Acquisitions (net) | -$194.9M | $2.2M | $0 | $1.3M | -$1.8B |
| Debt Repayment | — | — | — | — | — |
| Dividends Paid | — | — | — | — | — |
| Stock Buybacks | -$205.9M | -$538.0M | -$57.2M | -$25.7M | -$153.0M |
| Net Change in Cash | -$355.9M | -$298.7M | $328.0M | $37.0M | -$156.0M |
Analyst Estimates (Annual)
Last updated: Jun 27, 2026 7:26am (2h ago)| Metric | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue |
$10.0B $9.7B – $10.6B
|
$10.5B $10.2B – $11.0B
|
$10.7B $10.7B – $10.8B
|
$11.2B $10.9B – $11.7B
|
| EBITDA |
$2.1B $2.0B – $2.2B
|
$2.2B $2.1B – $2.3B
|
$2.2B $2.2B – $2.2B
|
$2.3B $2.2B – $2.4B
|
| Net Income |
$880.3M $858.7M – $1.1B
|
$1.1B $1.1B – $1.2B
|
$1.2B $1.1B – $1.3B
|
$1.5B $1.4B – $1.6B
|
| EPS | — | — | — | — |
Growth Trends (YoY %)
Last updated: Jun 21, 2026 7:04pm (5d ago)| Metric | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth | +9.7% | -8.0% | +7.4% | +7.2% |
| Gross Profit Growth | +11.6% | -18.7% | +5.0% | +6.0% |
| Operating Income Growth | +10.7% | -24.3% | +2.4% | +14.0% |
| Net Income Growth | +22.4% | -25.7% | +5.2% | -4.5% |
| EBITDA Growth | +12.7% | -16.2% | +2.9% | +7.9% |
Insider Trading (Recent)
Last updated: Jun 27, 2026 7:26am (2h ago)
Type codes
PPurchase
SSale
AAward / grant
MOption exercise
FIn-kind (tax)
CConversion
GGift
DReturn to issuer
All SEC Form 4 codes
Open market
- P Purchase
- Open-market or private purchase of shares.
- S Sale
- Open-market or private sale of shares.
Compensation (Rule 16b-3)
- A Award / grant
- Grant or award of securities (RSUs, options, etc.) under Rule 16b-3.
- D Return to issuer
- Securities disposed back to the company under Rule 16b-3.
- F In-kind (tax)
- Shares withheld or delivered to pay the option-exercise price or tax — not an open-market sale.
- I Discretionary
- Discretionary transaction under an employee plan — Rule 16b-3(f).
- M Option exercise
- Exercise or conversion of a derivative (option/RSU) into shares — exempt.
Derivatives
- C Conversion
- Conversion of a derivative security into the underlying shares.
- E Short expiration
- Expiration of a short derivative position.
- H Long expiration
- Expiration or cancellation of a long derivative position with value received.
- O OTM exercise
- Exercise of an out-of-the-money derivative.
- X ITM exercise
- Exercise of an in-the-money or at-the-money derivative.
Other exempt
- G Gift
- Bona fide gift of securities.
- L Small acquisition
- Small acquisition under Rule 16a-6.
- W Inheritance
- Acquisition or disposition by will or the laws of descent.
- Z Voting trust
- Deposit into or withdrawal from a voting trust.
Other
- J Other
- Other acquisition or disposition (explained in a Form 4 footnote).
- K Equity swap
- Transaction in an equity swap or similar instrument.
- U Tender / buyout
- Disposition via tender of shares in a change-of-control transaction.
Compensation-plan codes (A, D, F, M) are routine and rarely directional. Open-market P (buy) and S (sale) carry the most signal.
| Date | Insider | Type | Shares | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-27 | KOWLZAN MARK W | S-Sale | 9,266.00 | $217.08 | $2.0M |
| 2026-05-12 | MENCOFF SAMUEL M | A-Award | 591.00 | $0.00 | $0 |
| 2026-05-12 | SOULELES THOMAS S | A-Award | 591.00 | $0.00 | $0 |
| 2026-05-12 | LYONS ROBERT C | A-Award | 591.00 | $0.00 | $0 |
| 2026-05-12 | Harman Donna A. | A-Award | 591.00 | $0.00 | $0 |
| 2026-05-12 | GOWLAND KAREN E | A-Award | 591.00 | $0.00 | $0 |
| 2026-05-12 | Farrington Duane C | A-Award | 591.00 | $0.00 | $0 |
| 2026-05-12 | BEEBE CHERYL K | A-Award | 591.00 | $0.00 | $0 |
| 2026-05-12 | PORTER ROGER B | A-Award | 591.00 | $0.00 | $0 |
| 2026-03-27 | Olivier Darla J. | A-Award | 173.00 | $0.00 | $0 |
| 2026-03-27 | Olivier Darla J. | A-Award | 2,260.00 | $0.00 | $0 |
| 2026-03-27 | Olivier Darla J. | F-InKind | 1,055.00 | $212.25 | $223,924 |
| 2026-03-27 | Hassfurther Thomas A | A-Award | 2,279.00 | $0.00 | $0 |
| 2026-03-27 | Hassfurther Thomas A | A-Award | 29,778.00 | $0.00 | $0 |
| 2026-03-27 | Hassfurther Thomas A | F-InKind | 12,615.00 | $212.25 | $2.7M |
| 2026-03-27 | KOWLZAN MARK W | A-Award | 3,292.00 | $0.00 | $0 |
| 2026-03-27 | KOWLZAN MARK W | A-Award | 43,010.00 | $0.00 | $0 |
| 2026-03-27 | KOWLZAN MARK W | F-InKind | 20,513.00 | $212.25 | $4.4M |
| 2026-03-27 | Shirley Donald R. | A-Award | 478.00 | $0.00 | $0 |
| 2026-03-27 | Shirley Donald R. | A-Award | 6,254.00 | $0.00 | $0 |
Dividend History (Last 20)
Last updated: Jun 21, 2026 7:04pm (5d ago)| Date | Dividend | Declaration | Record | Payment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-15 | $1.50 | 2026-05-12 | 2026-06-15 | 2026-07-15 |
| 2026-03-13 | $1.25 | 2026-02-25 | 2026-03-13 | 2026-04-15 |
| 2025-12-15 | $1.25 | 2025-12-03 | 2025-12-15 | 2026-01-14 |
| 2025-09-15 | $1.25 | 2025-08-20 | 2025-09-15 | 2025-10-15 |
| 2025-06-13 | $1.25 | 2025-05-07 | 2025-06-13 | 2025-07-15 |
| 2025-03-14 | $1.25 | 2025-02-26 | 2025-03-14 | 2025-04-15 |
| 2024-12-20 | $1.25 | 2024-12-10 | 2024-12-20 | 2025-01-15 |
| 2024-09-16 | $1.25 | 2024-08-27 | 2024-09-16 | 2024-10-15 |
| 2024-06-14 | $1.25 | 2024-05-08 | 2024-06-14 | 2024-07-15 |
| 2024-03-14 | $1.25 | 2024-02-28 | 2024-03-15 | 2024-04-15 |
| 2023-12-15 | $1.25 | 2023-12-07 | 2023-12-18 | 2024-01-15 |
| 2023-09-22 | $1.25 | 2023-09-13 | 2023-09-25 | 2023-10-13 |
| 2023-06-14 | $1.25 | 2023-05-02 | 2023-06-15 | 2023-07-14 |
| 2023-03-14 | $1.25 | 2023-02-23 | 2023-03-15 | 2023-04-14 |
| 2022-12-16 | $1.25 | 2022-12-08 | 2022-12-19 | 2023-01-13 |
| 2022-09-30 | $1.25 | 2022-09-21 | 2022-10-03 | 2022-10-17 |
| 2022-06-14 | $1.25 | 2022-05-18 | 2022-06-15 | 2022-07-15 |
| 2022-03-14 | $1.00 | 2022-02-24 | 2022-03-15 | 2022-04-15 |
| 2021-12-17 | $1.00 | 2021-12-10 | 2021-12-20 | 2022-01-14 |
| 2021-09-14 | $1.00 | 2021-08-26 | 2021-09-15 | 2021-10-15 |
Narrative Economics
The story the market is telling about this stock — the intangible X-factor
(founder mythology, cult dynamics, TAM-of-imagination) that moves price beyond
what cash flows alone explain. After Shiller, Narrative Economics.
No narrative profile yet for PKG — it's generated by the pipeline (
market-narrative step).
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My Notes
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Data via Financial Modeling Prep · Cached for performance · fmp
v1.1.352 · d1100787 · 2026-06-26 11:39:30