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PKGPKGConsumer Cyclical · Packaging & Containers

PKG Stock Forecast: Packaging Corporation of America Price Predictions for 2026-2027

Last close, 9 Oct 2026
$231
+0.25% on the day

The 11 Wall Street analysts covering Packaging Corporation of America hold a median 12-month price target of $265 — +15.0% from the last close. Ticker Nerd's systematic factor model, run across ~4,600 US stocks, ranks it 40 of 100 as at 8 Oct 2026 — in the lower half.

Market cap
$20.5B
Ticker Nerd rank
40 / 100
Median analyst target
$265
Analysts covering
11
Revenue$2.5B+14.7% y/y
Operating income$333.2M
Net income$192.1M
Free cash flow$170.1M
Quarterly, 8 quarters to 30 June 2026 · latest quarter's figure shown
Total return, dividends reinvested
1W
+0.9%
1M
+2.1%
YTD
+13.9%
1Y
+11.8%
From 52W high
−9.9%
From 52W low
+23.3%
$187
$256
52-week range, adjusted closes · the dot is the last close
Ticker Nerd rank

PKG stock analysis: one number for the whole business

Consensus tells you what everyone already believes. The model scores Packaging Corporation of America on its factor families — the same systematic rank behind the Ticker Nerd portfolio.

Where the model ranks itAs at 8 Oct 2026
40 / 100

Percentile across ~4,600 US stocks on Ticker Nerd’s systematic factor model. Higher is better. How the model is built and tested

Quality
86
Revisions
68
Momentum
67
Volatility
50
Accruals
48
Growth
44
Issuance
39
Value
13
Size
10

Quality (86): The business earns solid, repeatable profits on what it owns.

Value (13): The shares cost a lot relative to the profits and assets behind them.

Size (10): Larger than most of the companies we track — more scrutinised, less often mispriced.

Built and run by Aslam Ghouse, an ex-Goldman Sachs quant trader with fourteen years in markets.

Wall Street

PKG stock forecast 2026-2027: analyst price targets & predictions

The bullish and bearish analyst opinions on PKG, reported as data — targets and ratings, the market's view beside the model's.

Share price and the analyst range, 12 monthsAdjusted close, US dollars
$150$200$250$300Jan 26Apr 26Jul 26Oct 26PKGHigh $320Median $265Low $167

Price targets and ratings are third-party analyst estimates, reported here as data. They are not Ticker Nerd forecasts, and they are frequently wrong.

Data provided by Twelve Data

What Wall Street says11 analysts
7 Buy3 Hold1 Sell
Low $167Median $265High $320

The green dot is the last close — the median target sits +15.0% from it.

Recent analyst actionsNewest first

Of the 20 most recent actions, 7 moved their price target up and 5 moved it down.

DateFirmActionRatingTarget
7 Oct 2026Wells FargoMaintainsEqual-Weight$246 → $245
5 Oct 2026UBSMaintainsBuy$292 → $289
2 Oct 2026CitigroupMaintainsNeutral$254 → $253
23 Sept 2026JP MorganMaintainsOverweight—
23 Sept 2026JP MorganMaintainsOverweight$312 → $320
11 Sept 2026B of A SecuritiesMaintainsBuy$280 → $260
11 Sept 2026B of A SecuritiesMaintainsBuy—
13 Aug 2026UBSMaintainsBuy—
13 Aug 2026UBSMaintainsBuy$271 → $292
28 July 2026CitigroupMaintainsNeutral$241 → $254
28 July 2026CitigroupMaintainsNeutral—
28 July 2026JP MorganMaintainsOverweight$271 → $312
28 July 2026JP MorganMaintainsOverweight—
25 July 2026UBSMaintainsBuy—
24 July 2026JP MorganMaintainsOverweight$269 → $271
24 July 2026JP MorganMaintainsOverweight—
24 July 2026UBSMaintainsBuy$272 → $271
15 July 2026Truist SecuritiesMaintainsBuy$258 → $270
15 July 2026Truist SecuritiesMaintainsBuy—
14 July 2026B of A SecuritiesMaintainsBuy$242 → $263

Price targets and ratings are third-party analyst estimates, reported here as data. They are not Ticker Nerd forecasts, and they are frequently wrong.

Market Radar

This page is one stock. Monday covers all of them.

Computed off the Friday close and sent before the US open.

Market Radar reports the week’s largest rank changes across roughly 4,600 US stocks, the factor behind each one, and where the market went. PKG appears on the weeks it earns a place.

Free, every Monday. Unsubscribe any time.

Performance

PKG vs the S&P 500

Both lines are total return — dividends reinvested — so the comparison is honest on both sides.

Over the twelve months to 9 Oct 2026, Packaging Corporation of America returned +11.8% against +17.3% for the S&P 500, dividends included.

PKG vs S&P 500, last 12 monthsTotal return, rebased to 100
90100110120130Jan 26Apr 26Jul 26Oct 26PKGS&P 500

Download this chart as an image — free to reuse; link this page as the source.

Data provided by Twelve Data

Estimates

PKG analyst estimate revisions

Not the forecast itself — the direction analysts are revising it. Revision direction is one of the model's factor families.

Which way the estimates are movingNext fiscal year
EPS revision, 90 days
+0.7%
Analysts raising
1
Analysts cutting
1
Fundamentals

Packaging Corporation of America (PKG) financial data

A margin means little on its own. Each bar marks where the figure sits across the whole US universe we score.

Valuation
Trailing P/E
29.9×

Cheaper than 26% of US stocks

Price / sales
2.1×

Cheaper than 50% of US stocks

Price / book
4.4×

Cheaper than 23% of US stocks

EV / EBITDA
12.1×

Cheaper than 30% of US stocks

Growth & margins
Revenue growth (YoY)
14.7%

Higher than 62% of US stocks

Earnings growth (YoY)
−20.5%

Higher than 20% of US stocks

Gross margin
20.6%

Higher than 22% of US stocks

Operating margin
13.1%

Higher than 70% of US stocks

Net margin
7.3%

Higher than 65% of US stocks

Returns & dividend
Return on equity
14.9%

Higher than 74% of US stocks

Return on assets
8.3%

Higher than 88% of US stocks

Dividend yield
2.6%

Higher than 83% of US dividend payers

Bars mark the percentile across the ~4,600 US stocks Ticker Nerd covers, among those reporting the figure.

Key statistics

Packaging Corporation of America (PKG) statistics: revenue, profit & scale

The headline figures, each with its date. Every row carries its own link — cite it straight from here.

  • Packaging Corporation of America has a market value of $20.5B and an enterprise value of $24.2B.

  • Revenue in the twelve months to 30 June 2026: $9.5B. The latest quarter grew 14.7% year on year.

  • Net income over the same four quarters: $691.7M, a 7.3% net margin.

  • Diluted earnings per share, trailing twelve months: $7.70.

  • Free cash flow in the twelve months to 30 June 2026: $742.4M.

  • Packaging Corporation of America spent $242.1M on share buybacks and $448.1M on dividends in the twelve months to 30 June 2026.

  • Shares outstanding: 89.1M.

  • Trailing P/E: 29.9×; forward P/E: 17.3× — the forward figure prices analyst consensus estimates, not reported earnings.

  • Forward dividend yield: 2.59%, paying out 68% of earnings.

  • Packaging Corporation of America employs 16,800 people — $568K of revenue per employee.

Statement figures: company filings via Twelve Data, four quarters to 30 June 2026 · market figures as at 9 Oct 2026

Data provided by Twelve Data

Peers

PKG vs competitors

The nearest names by industry and size, scored by the same model — like for like.

Its peer group, ranked by the same modelPackaging & Containers
CompanyMarket capTKN rank
PKGPackaging Corporation of America$20.5B
40
AMCRAmcor Plc$19.3B
58
IPInternational Paper Co.$16.8B
25
BALLBall Corp.$15.6B
74
AVYAvery Dennison Corp.$13.0B
75
CCKCrown Holdings, Inc.$12.2B
98
SONSonoco Products Co.$4.8B
75

Look up any of the roughly 4,600 stocks we score.

The rank is the raw material. Whether the rules would actually own Packaging Corporation of America — and when they’d sell — is the membership. See the Ticker Nerd 20 →

News

Latest PKG news & analysis

3 Overlooked Packaging Stocks With Businesses and Dividends That Never Really Stop

24/7 Wall Street · 3 Oct 2026positive

24/7 Wall Street highlights packaging stocks that remain resilient across downturns due to the recurring, disposable nature of their products. These companies are presented as overlooked opportunities for steady business and dividends.

Why it matters — For PKG watchers, the piece underscores the enduring demand and income stability that packaging firms like Packaging Corporation of America can offer even during economic downturns.

Packaging Corporation of America Schedules Conference Call to Discuss Third Quarter 2026 Operating Results

Business Wire · 17 Sept 2026neutral

Packaging Corporation of America announced it will hold a conference call on Thursday, October 22, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time to discuss its third quarter 2026 results, led by Mark Kowlzan. Third quarter earnings will be released after market close on Wednesday, October 21, 2026.

Why it matters — PKG watchers would care because this schedules the timing and access details for the company's third quarter 2026 earnings release and investor conference call.

Packaging Corporation of America's Chief Executive Officer to Speak at 2026 Jefferies Global Industrials Conference

Business Wire · 8 Sept 2026neutral

Packaging Corporation of America's CEO Mark Kowlzan will take part in a Fireside Chat at the Jefferies 2026 Global Industrials Conference in New York on September 10, 2026. Following the chat, Kowlzan and CFO Kent Pflederer will hold a Q&A session and a series of one-on-one meetings.

Why it matters — The company's leadership will present to investors and analysts at the conference, offering PKG watchers an opportunity to hear directly about the company's outlook.

Why Packaging Corp. (PKG) is a Top Growth Stock for the Long-Term

Zacks Investment Research · 7 Sept 2026positive

Zacks Investment Research highlights Packaging Corp. of America (PKG) as a top growth stock for the long term, pointing to its strong market-beating potential. The article recommends using Zacks Style Scores to identify such stocks.

Why it matters — PKG watchers would care because the piece frames the company as a strong long-term growth pick, reinforcing positive sentiment around its investment profile.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about PKG stock

What is the PKG stock price forecast for 2026-2027?

The 11 Wall Street analysts covering Packaging Corporation of America have a median 12-month price target of $265, with estimates ranging from $167 to $320. These are third-party analyst estimates, not Ticker Nerd forecasts, and they are frequently wrong.

Is PKG stock a buy right now?

Of the 11 analysts covering Packaging Corporation of America, 7 rate it a Buy, 3 a Hold and 1 a Sell. Ticker Nerd's systematic factor model ranks Packaging Corporation of America 40 out of 100 across roughly 4,600 US stocks as at 8 Oct 2026. None of this is personal advice — it does not consider your circumstances.

How does Ticker Nerd's model rank PKG?

As at 8 Oct 2026, Packaging Corporation of America ranks 40 out of 100 on Ticker Nerd's systematic factor model — a percentile across roughly 4,600 US stocks, built from its factor families. Its strongest factor family is Quality (86 of 100).

Will PKG stock go up?

No one can know that. What the data says: the median 12-month target from 11 analysts implies +15.0% from the last close, and Ticker Nerd's factor model ranks Packaging Corporation of America 40 out of 100 as at 8 Oct 2026. Analyst targets are third-party estimates and frequently wrong; none of this is personal advice.

What is the PKG stock forecast for 2030?

No analyst covering Packaging Corporation of America publishes a 2030 price target — Wall Street targets run 12 to 18 months out. Sites quoting a 2030 price for PKG are extrapolating price history, which says nothing about the business. The furthest attributed numbers are the current analyst targets: $167 to $320 over the next 12 months.

How has PKG stock performed over the past year?

Packaging Corporation of America returned +11.8% over the 12 months to 9 Oct 2026, with dividends reinvested. Past performance does not indicate future returns.

What does Packaging Corporation of America do?

Packaging Corporation of America is a U.S.-based paper and packaging company that produces containerboard, corrugated packaging, and uncoated freesheet paper. Its Packaging segment supplies shipping containers, retail display packaging, protective packaging, and other corrugated products used to transport and merchandise goods across industrial and consumer markets.

What is the latest news on PKG?

The most recent item we track (24/7 Wall Street, 3 Oct 2026): "3 Overlooked Packaging Stocks With Businesses and Dividends That Never Really Stop". 24/7 Wall Street highlights packaging stocks that remain resilient across downturns due to the recurring, disposable nature of their products. These companies are presented as overlooked opportunities for steady business and dividends.

Company

About Packaging Corporation of America.

Packaging Corporation of America is a U.S.-based paper and packaging company that produces containerboard, corrugated packaging, and uncoated freesheet paper. Its Packaging segment supplies shipping containers, retail display packaging, protective packaging, and other corrugated products used to transport and merchandise goods across industrial and consumer markets. Its Paper segment manufactures communication, specialty, and office papers for commercial and institutional customers. The company serves a broad range of industries, including food and beverage, agriculture, manufacturing, and logistics, with a focus on converting raw materials into finished packaging solutions. Headquartered in Lake Forest, Illinois, Packaging Corporation of America plays a significant role in North American packaging supply chains through its integrated manufacturing and converting operations.

CEO Mr. Mark W. Kowlzan · 16,800 employees · United States · https://www.packagingcorp.com