CluenexPackaging Corporation of America PKG
Packaging Corporation of America scores average on business quality (5.4 of 10). Here is why, in plain words, and what our sealed record shows.
Why it matters
- What Packaging Corporation of America does
Packaging Corporation of America manufactures containerboard and corrugated packaging products, selling directly to industrial and consumer goods producers who rely on its boxes for shipping.
- What it does best
PKG turns out containerboard with an operating margin of 12.6%, outperforming peers like IP at 0.2% and GPK at 6.9%. This reflects disciplined mill management and a focus on domestic markets that protects profitability from broader shipping volatility.
- The main risk
Plant consolidation risks operational friction, as seen in the recent decision to close its full-line facility in Ohio. Disruptions in regional output can strain customer supply chains and force sudden shifts in sourcing.
Quality, check by check
Scored against its own industry, from company filings.
Gross margin stands at 20.1% while operating margin hits 12.6%, indicating stable conversion of revenue into core earnings. Scale brings moderate margin protection but lacks elite profitability.
Customer lock-in relies on integrated mill-to-converter networks that sit in the top quartile for sector revenue growth at the 69th percentile, making quick replication by rivals difficult.
Revenue grew to $9.5B over the latest period, accelerating from $9.0B in the previous year and outpacing its historical range.
Total debt sits at $4.0B against $601M in cash, with interest coverage at 10x meaning earnings easily cover debt costs. Free cash flow reached $740M, showing a steady improvement from prior years.
Insiders
Executives and directors, from SEC Form 4 filings we read ourselves. Open market trades only; grants, option exercises and pre-planned sales left out.
2 sold $10.2M outside pre-planned sales.
Our sealed record on PKG
Verdicts appear here 30 days after we publish them; members see today's. Each one is in the nightly ledger, fingerprinted the night it was made.
The first sealed verdicts appear here on Oct 11, 2026.
Questions
Packaging Corporation of America scores average on the Cluenex quality check (5.4 of 10), measured against its own industry. Profitability is fair, moat fair, growth slow and financial health fair.
In the last 90 days of SEC Form 4 filings: 2 sold $10.2M outside pre-planned sales.
Oct 21, 2026.
See PKG today
- Today's verdict on PKG, and why
- Fair value with cautious, base and optimistic cases
- The exact price that would change the verdict
- Which stocks each signal names, the night it fires
Cite this page: Cluenex, “Packaging Corporation of America (PKG)”, https://cluenex.com/stocks/pkg/, data as of Oct 10, 2026.