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PKGPackaging Corporation of AmericSell4.9·$238.20+0.11%
SellModerate Confidence
Investment thesis

Packaging Corporation of America has strong near-term momentum with a breakout pattern and rising estimates, but customer concentration of 58% in ODP Corporation is a high-severity single-customer risk and the stock is already 10.8% above the analyst price target.

Thesis pillars

  • Customer Concentration RiskStable
  • Price Above Analyst TargetStable
  • Momentum Breakout PatternStable
  • +1 more pillar — see the Why tab for full reasoning

Full reasoning →

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Packaging Corporation of Americ (PKG) Stock Analysis

SellModerate Confidence

Consumer Cyclical · Packaging & Containers

Sell if holding. Analyst target reached at $238.20 — A.R:R is negative (-1.3) — price has exceeded the analyst target. Reward from here is too thin for a buy — the engine flags exit. Additional concerns: Concentration risk — Customer: ODP Corporation (58.0%).

PCA is the third largest containerboard producer in North America, operating ten mills and 91 corrugated products plants entirely in the United States after the September 2025 Greif acquisition for $1.8 billion. The Packaging segment serves ~12,000 customers with no single buyer... Read more

$238.20+0.2% A.UpsideScore 4.9/10#16 of 19 Packaging & Containers
QualityF-score6 / 9FCF yield1.84%
IncomeYield2.52%(5y avg 2.82%)Payout60.75%
Stop $226.98Target $238.63(resistance)A.R:R -1.3:1
Analyst target$235.90-1.0%10 analysts
$238.63our TP
$238.20price
$235.90mean
$167
$258

Sell if holding. Analyst target reached at $238.20 — A.R:R is negative (-1.3) — price has exceeded the analyst target. Reward from here is too thin for a buy — the engine flags exit. Additional concerns: Concentration risk — Customer: ODP Corporation (58.0%). Chart setup: No clear chart pattern; technical signals are mixed. Score 4.9/10, moderate confidence.

Passes 7/8 gates (positive momentum, clean insider activity, no SEC red flags, news events none recent, earnings proximity 19d clear, semi cycle peak clear, materials cycle peak clear). Fails on favorable risk/reward ratio. Suitability: moderate.

10-K grounded · weekly refresh

About Packaging Corporation of Americ

About Packaging Corporation of Americ

Packaging Corporation of America produced 5.2 million tons of containerboard across ten mills during 2025, ranking third in North America by capacity after completing the $1.8 billion acquisition of Greif's containerboard business in September 2025. The Packaging segment operates 91 corrugated products plants serving approximately 12,000 customers, while the Paper segment runs one mill in International Falls, Minnesota. Total employment stood at approximately 16,800 workers, with 57% of hourly employees under union contracts.

About 70% of Packaging segment corrugated products sales flow to regional and local accounts broadly diversified across industries; no single customer exceeds 10% of segment sales. The remaining 30% are national accounts served by multiple plants. The Paper segment is more concentrated: ODP Corporation represented 58% of Paper segment sales and 4% of consolidated revenue in 2025 under a supply agreement extended through December 31, 2026 — if not renewed, ODP's purchasing obligation phases down over two years beginning January 2027. Fiber is the largest manufacturing input; in 2025, 22% of containerboard fiber came from recycled sources net of internal generation, a share expected to grow following the Greif acquisition and Wallula mill restructuring. Natural gas constituted 76% of purchased fuel by volume at the packaging mills. Primary containerboard competitors include International Paper, Smurfit WestRock, Georgia-Pacific, and Pratt Industries.

Show full overview

The company's highly unionized workforce carries meaningful contract-cycle exposure. Approximately 57% of PCA's 12,200 hourly employees work under collective bargaining agreements with five major unions — the United Steel Workers, Printing Packaging Production Workers Union, Association of Western Pulp and Paper Workers, International Association of Machinists, and International Brotherhood of Teamsters. Active negotiations to renew or extend recently expired contracts were underway at the time of the 10-K, and while PCA experienced no work stoppages in 2025, failure to renegotiate on acceptable terms could result in work stoppages that would adversely affect operations and financial condition.

See also: Consumer Cyclical · Packaging & Containers

From Packaging Corporation of Americ's most recent 10-K filing, extracted June 11, 2026.

news + 30-day 8-K events · 5-min refresh

Recent developments

updated 2026-07-06
TrendMatrix Research · upcoming catalyst calendar

Upcoming dated catalysts

Wed, Jul 22, 202619d to earnings· next earnings call

Thesis

Rewards
Earnings estimates trending UP
Risks
Concentration risk — Customer: ODP Corporation (58.0%)
Analyst target reached - limited upside remaining
Near 52-week high (4.5% away)

Key Metrics

P/E (TTM)28.9
P/E (Fwd)19.4
Mkt Cap$21.2B
EV/EBITDA12.7
Profit Mgn8.0%
ROE16.3%
Rev Growth10.6%
Beta0.82
Dividend2.52%
Rating analysts16

Quality Signals

Piotroski F6/9

Options Flow

P/C1.00neutral
IV49%normal

Concentration Risks(10-K Item 1A)

  • HIGHCustomerODP Corporation58%
    10-K Item 1A: 'sales to ODP represented 58% of our Paper segment sales and 4% of our consolidated sales'

Model-generated analysis — not investment advice. Not a registered investment advisor. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

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Performance. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Performance figures reflect the published model only and do not reflect any individual subscriber's actual results.

Methodology · Editorial policy & full disclaimer

Rating Breakdown

1 floor-breaker

Growth below the gate floor. Component breakdown shows what dragged the score down.static

Earnings Growth
0.0
Revenue Growth
5.2
GatesA.R:R -1.3=NEGATIVEMomentum 6.3>=5.5Insider activity: OKNo SEC red flagsNEWS EVENTS NONE RECENTEARNINGS PROXIMITY 19d clearSEMI CYCLE PEAK CLEARMATERIALS CYCLE PEAK CLEARSuitability: Moderate
RSI
77 · Overbought
20D MA 50D MA 200D MAGOLDEN CROSSSupport $212.77Resistance $243.50

Price Targets

$227
$239
A.Upside+0.2%
A.R:R-1.3:1

Position Sizing

ConvictionNone
Suggested %0.5%
Max %1%
RegimeSteady

Risk Alerts

! Target reached (-13.8% upside)
! Negative risk/reward — downside exceeds upside

Earnings

B
B
M
M
2/4 beats
Next Earnings2026-07-22 (19d)

Verdict History

reverse chrono — latest first
Loading history...
Verdicts are recorded on every nightly pipeline run. Rows capture transitions (verdict flips, score deltas ≥0.3, entry/TP/SL changes). Rows with a ▶ can be expanded to see the change reason. Aggregate cohort performance is tracked in the recommendation ledger.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is PKG stock a buy right now?

Sell if holding. Analyst target reached at $238.20 — A.R:R is negative (-1.3) — price has exceeded the analyst target. Reward from here is too thin for a buy — the engine flags exit. Additional concerns: Concentration risk — Customer: ODP Corporation (58.0%). Chart setup: No clear chart pattern; technical signals are mixed. Prior stop was $226.98. Score 4.9/10, moderate confidence.

What is the PKG stock price target?

Take-profit target: $238.63 (+0.2% upside). Prior stop was $226.98. Stop-loss: $226.98.

What are the risks of investing in PKG?

Concentration risk — Customer: ODP Corporation (58.0%); Analyst target reached - limited upside remaining; Near 52-week high (4.5% away).

Is PKG overvalued or undervalued?

Packaging Corporation of Americ trades at a P/E of 28.9 (forward 19.4). TrendMatrix value score: 5.2/10. Verdict: Sell.

What do analysts say about PKG?

16 analysts cover PKG with a consensus score of 3.9/5. Average price target: $236.

What does Packaging Corporation of Americ do?PCA is the third largest containerboard producer in North America, operating ten mills and 91 corrugated products...

PCA is the third largest containerboard producer in North America, operating ten mills and 91 corrugated products plants entirely in the United States after the September 2025 Greif acquisition for $1.8 billion. The Packaging segment serves ~12,000 customers with no single buyer exceeding 10% of segment sales; the Paper segment's primary customer, ODP Corporation, represents 58% of segment revenue.

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