Packaging Corporation of America (NYSE:PKG) Stock Has Average Price Target of $271.86 According to Analysts

Posted by Francis Steltz on Oct 25th, 2026

Packaging Corporation of America (NYSE:PKG – Get Free Report) has earned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the ten ratings firms that are covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1 year target price among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $274.14.

Several analysts recently commented on the company. Citigroup dropped their price objective on Packaging Corporation of America from $254.00 to $253.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on Packaging Corporation of America from $246.00 to $245.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 7th. Truist Financial reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $294.00 target price (up from $280.00) on shares of Packaging Corporation of America in a research note on Friday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Packaging Corporation of America from $320.00 to $322.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday. Finally, UBS Group dropped their price target on Packaging Corporation of America from $292.00 to $289.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, October 5th.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on PKG

Packaging Corporation of America Stock Down 0.6%

Shares of NYSE:PKG opened at $247.46 on Thursday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $237.01 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $230.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 1.86 and a current ratio of 2.94. The company has a market capitalization of $22.05 billion, a PE ratio of 30.47, a PEG ratio of 2.02 and a beta of 0.75. Packaging Corporation of America has a 52 week low of $191.50 and a 52 week high of $259.98.

Packaging Corporation of America (NYSE:PKG – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 21st. The industrial products company reported $3.04 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.93 by $0.11. Packaging Corporation of America had a net margin of 7.40% and a return on equity of 19.63%. The company had revenue of $2.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.61 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.73 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 12.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts forecast that Packaging Corporation of America will post 10.48 earnings per share for the current year.

Packaging Corporation of America Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 15th were given a $1.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $6.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.4%. Packaging Corporation of America’s payout ratio is currently 73.89%.

More Packaging Corporation of America News

Here are the key news stories impacting Packaging Corporation of America this week:

Positive Sentiment: PKG reported third-quarter EPS of $3.04, ahead of the $2.93 consensus, while revenue rose 12.5% year over year to approximately $2.60 billion. Favorable pricing and product mix, higher box shipments and contributions from the Greif operations helped drive the earnings beat. Packaging Corp Q3 Earnings Beat Estimates on Favorable Price & Mix
Positive Sentiment: The company guided to fourth-quarter EPS of $2.81, modestly above the $2.78 analyst consensus. Price increases, shipment growth and continued cost discipline are supporting expectations for profitable growth. Packaging Corporation of America Signals Profitable Growth
Positive Sentiment: Analysts raised their targets while maintaining favorable ratings: Truist reaffirmed “buy” and increased its target to $294 from $280, JPMorgan raised its target to $322 from $320 with an “overweight” rating, and Deutsche Bank lifted its target to $298 from $270 while maintaining “buy.”
Neutral Sentiment: PKG’s acquisition of Greif’s corrugated packaging operations is increasing shipments and earnings, but investors will continue to monitor integration progress and the durability of those benefits.
Negative Sentiment: Freight and other cost pressures, along with planned maintenance outages, are expected to partially offset pricing and volume gains in the fourth quarter. A valuation-focused analysis also cautions that PKG’s strong operating performance may already be reflected in its share price. Packaging Corporation of America: A Good Company Isn’t Always A Good Stock

Insider Activity at Packaging Corporation of America

In other Packaging Corporation of America news, President Thomas A. Hassfurther sold 12,531 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $250.00, for a total transaction of $3,132,750.00. Following the sale, the president directly owned 218,751 shares in the company, valued at approximately $54,687,750. This trade represents a 5.42% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, VP Donald R. Shirley sold 12,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $250.71, for a total transaction of $3,008,520.00. Following the sale, the vice president owned 19,110 shares in the company, valued at $4,791,068.10. This trade represents a 38.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 40,391 shares of company stock valued at $10,196,101 over the last quarter. 1.60% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Fiduciary Financial Advisors acquired a new stake in shares of Packaging Corporation of America during the second quarter worth $36,000. Keating Financial Advisory Services Inc. bought a new stake in Packaging Corporation of America in the 2nd quarter valued at $41,000. Oslo Pensjonsforsikring AS bought a new stake in Packaging Corporation of America in the 1st quarter valued at $41,000. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Packaging Corporation of America by 2,300.0% in the 1st quarter. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC now owns 216 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 207 shares during the period. Finally, Danske Bank A S acquired a new position in Packaging Corporation of America in the 2nd quarter worth $58,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.78% of the company’s stock.

Packaging Corporation of America Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Packaging Corporation of America (NYSE:PKG) is a manufacturer of corrugated packaging and containerboard products serving businesses primarily in the United States. Its products include shipping boxes, retail packaging, displays, protective packaging and specialty corrugated solutions used to transport and present a broad range of consumer and industrial goods.

The company also produces uncoated freesheet paper and related paper products for commercial printing, office use, publishing, converting and other applications.