Clearwater Paper's Competitiveness
A competitive positioning analysis and financial ratio benchmarking of Clearwater Paper (CLW) against its publicly traded competitors: sales growth, net income, profitability, valuation and market share, plus each peer's market capitalization, revenue, income and employees. Free below: the top 5 peers. Subscriber access adds the full competitor list and CSV downloads.
Key Findings: Clearwater Paper vs Its Competitors
- TTM: Trailing 12-month revenue of 1,538M vs 255,947M combined for tracked competitors (0.6% combined share).
- Trending: Latest-quarter revenue run-rate is decelerating (-6.3% annualized vs trailing 12 months), vs holding steady (-1.9%) for its tracked peer group.
- Growth: Clearwater Paper generated -4.7% revenue growth year over year in Q1 2026, vs 4.8% for its tracked competitors combined.
- Profitability: Its 1.0% net margin compares with 10.7% for the peer group.
- Scale: Clearwater Paper ranks #10 of 14 companies by market capitalization in the Paper & Paper Products industry, holding 0.5% of industry market cap.
- Peer revenue share: Clearwater Paper accounted for 0.6% of combined revenue among its tracked peer group, down from 0.6% a year earlier.
- Peer differentiation: Revenue per employee of $0.81M compares with $0.51M for the peer group (1.6x).
Every figure above is sourced and cited in detail further down this page (Market Structure, Profitability & Cost Structure, Productivity vs Peers).
CLW Sales vs. its Competitors, Q1 2026
Clearwater Paper reported revenue contraction of 4.73 % year on year in Q1 2026, below its competitors' combined revenue growth of 4.79 %.
With a net margin of 1.03 %, Clearwater Paper reported lower profitability than its competitors (10.72 %).
Clearwater Paper generated 0.57 % of the combined sales of its peer group, down from 0.63 % a year earlier.
Clearwater Paper vs. its Competitors, Q1 2026
Revenue growth, year on year
Net income growth, year on year
Net margin
Revenue run-rate vs trailing 12 months
TTM net margin
TTM = trailing twelve months. Run-rate annualizes the latest quarter (×4) and compares it to TTM. In millions of $. High-Confidence Competitors are named as a competitor directly in an SEC filing; Similar-Size Competitors are the closest peers by market-cap rank within the same industry; Similar Growth & Profitability Competitors are the closest peers by combined revenue growth, operating margin and ROIC, all independent of the competitor list.
TTM revenue, latest-quarter run-rate and net income/margin benchmarked across Clearwater Paper and its 4 competitor groupings. Available under Commercial License.
| Entity | TTM Revenue | Rev Run-rate vs TTM |
|---|---|---|
| Clearwater Paper Corporation | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Competitors combined | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Similar-Size Competitors (6) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Similar Growth & Profitability (4) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
TTM revenue, run-rate and net margin benchmarking across Clearwater Paper's competitor groups requires a Commercial License.
For context: the Paper & Paper Products industry grew revenue 4.3% year over year, combined, vs -4.7% for Clearwater Paper. Clearwater Paper's share of combined industry revenue moved from 1.09% to 1.00%, a loss of 0.09 percentage points.
Clearwater Paper's Competitor Quality Breadth
Share of each group, trailing 12 months: profitable (net margin > 0), expanding (revenue growth > 0), growing faster than the industry's own median, and financially distressed (Piotroski F-Score of 2 or below).
| Entity | Profitable | Expanding | Above Industry Growth | Distressed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearwater Paper Corporation | Yes | No | No | No |
| Competitors combined (30) | ||||
| Similar-Size Competitors (7) | ||||
| Similar Growth & Profitability (8) | 12.50 % (1 of 8) | 0.00 % (0 of 8) | 12.50 % (1 of 8) | 42.90 % (3 of 7) |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Altman Z-Score is not shown here: it is not populated in the underlying data for any company. Percentages are of companies in each group that report the relevant metric, not of the full group size.
CLW Stock Performance relative to its Competitors
CLW Stock Performance relative to Similar-Size Competitors
CLW Stock Performance relative to Similar Growth & Profitability Competitors
5 Best-Performing Tracked Competitors, Trailing 12 Months
| # | Competitor | TTM Share Price Return | vs U.S.A. 500 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Horizon Kinetics Holding Corporation | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 2 | Sealed Air Corp | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 3 | Quanex Building Products Corporation | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 4 | Greif Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 5 | Stepan Company | 282.9% | Outperformed |
TTM share price return and U.S.A. 500 outperformance for Clearwater Paper's best-performing tracked competitors requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months.
Clearwater Paper's Comment on Competition and Industry Peers
Publicly Traded Peers of Clearwater Paper Corporation
Revenue and income for trailing 12 months, in millions of $, except employees| Company | Market Cap | Revenues |
|---|---|---|
| Clearwater Paper Corporation | 319.83 | 1,537.50 |
| Procter and Gamble Co | 361,061.51 | 87,032.00 |
| Illinois Tool Works Inc | 78,589.21 | 16,469.00 |
| Kimberly clark Corporation | 32,920.04 | 16,582.00 |
| Church and Dwight Co Inc | 22,776.68 | 6,228.60 |
| Packaging Corp Of America | 20,872.28 | 9,535.70 |
| SUBTOTAL | 624,156.20 | 330,641.23 |
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Sources: Clearwater Paper Corporation's official press releases and regulatory filings; CSIMarket.com's market research; and the financial filings and press releases of the other companies cited.
Updated on:
Focus of this report: publicly traded companies. Ten additional tables on Clearwater Paper Corporation versus competitors, including market share analysis, are in the navigation menu under Competition. To download the tables, please subscribe.
Clearwater Paper's Business Segment Mix vs Peers
Revenue by operating segment or division, as named and reported by each company. Segment names are the filer's own and are not standardized across companies. Do not assume a same-named or similarly-named segment is defined identically between two companies. Shares are of each company's own total revenue and are not required to sum to 100% (intersegment revenue, unallocated items).| Company | Largest Segment |
|---|---|
| Procter and Gamble Co | Fabric & Home Care 34.83 % |
| Illinois Tool Works Inc | Automotive OEM 20.42 % |
| Kimberly clark Corporation | North America (NA) 64.41 % |
| Church and Dwight Co Inc | Consumer Domestic 75.54 % |
| Packaging Corp Of America | Packaging 92.83 % |
Source: operating segment revenue as reported in each company's SEC filings (10-K/10-Q), via the CSIMarket API, leaf-level reportable segments only (parent roll-up segments are excluded where sub-segments are separately disclosed).
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Clearwater Paper's Productivity vs Peers Comparison
Revenue and income per employee, trailing 12 months, in $; market cap in millions of $| Company | Market Cap | Revenue / Employee | Income / Employee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clearwater Paper Corporation | 320 | 809,211 | 23,053 |
| Procter and Gamble Co | 361,062 | 836,846 | 155,231 |
| Illinois Tool Works Inc | 78,589 | 383,000 | 74,279 |
| Kimberly clark Corporation | 32,920 | 460,611 | 55,250 |
| Church and Dwight Co Inc | 22,777 | 1,122,270 | 134,198 |
| Packaging Corp Of America | 20,872 | 567,601 | 41,113 |
| PEERS TOTAL | 623,836 | 510,416 | 53,646 |
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Clearwater Paper's Geographic Revenue Exposure vs Peers
Revenue by country/region as reported in each company's most recent filing. Disclosure granularity varies by filer (some report by country, others by broad region) and is shown as disclosed.| Company | Largest Market |
|---|---|
| Procter and Gamble Co | Non-US 52.05 % |
| International Paper Company | EMEA 38.90 % |
| Berry Global Group Inc | United States and Canada 56.51 % |
| Aptargroup inc | Europe 50.76 % |
| Sealed Air Corp | Americas 64.01 % |
Source: revenue geography as reported in each company's SEC filings (10-K/10-Q), via the CSIMarket API. Percentages are of that company's own total consolidated revenue for its most recent reported period.
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Clearwater Paper's Position in Industry Market Structure
Market-capitalization share and concentration across all 13 companies in Clearwater Paper's industry classification, broader than the peer set above. Market cap in millions of $.Clearwater Paper ranks #10 of 13 companies by market capitalization in its industry, holding 0.45 % of total industry market cap. The industry's Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) is 3,086, indicating a highly concentrated market structure (U.S. antitrust guidance: below 1,500 unconcentrated, 1,500 to 2,500 moderately concentrated, above 2,500 highly concentrated).
| Rank | Company | Market Cap | Industry Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kimberly clark Corporation | 32,523 | 45.51 % |
| 2 | International Paper Company | 18,167 | 25.42 % |
| 3 | Avery Dennison Corporation | 13,024 | 18.22 % |
| 4 | Neptune Insurance Holdings Inc | 3,965 | 5.55 % |
| 5 | Sylvamo Corporation | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 6 | Mativ Holdings Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 7 | Rayonier Advanced Materials Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 8 | Magnera Corporation | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 9 | Ranpak Holdings Corp | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 10 | Clearwater Paper Corporation | 322 | 0.45 % |
Market cap and industry share for the rest of Clearwater Paper's industry peers requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API (daily market-structure computation) across CSIMarket's industry classification, market capitalization as of 2026-09-28.
Clearwater Paper's Same-Size Peers & Stock Performance
Peers chosen by closeness in market-cap rank within the same industry classification (not the named-competitor list above). Trailing 12-month total return, 3-month price momentum, beta and Sharpe ratio vs the broad U.S. market.| Rank | Company | Market Cap | TTM Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Sylvamo Corporation | 1,418 | -16.41 % |
| 6 | Mativ Holdings Inc | 652 | 4.74 % |
| 7 | Rayonier Advanced Materials Inc | 564 | 23.89 % |
| 8 | Magnera Corporation | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 9 | Ranpak Holdings Corp | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 10 | Clearwater Paper Corporation | 322 | -3.52 % |
| 11 | Mercer International Inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 12 | Big Tree Cloud Holdings Limited | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 13 | It Tech Packaging Inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
Market cap, return, momentum, beta and Sharpe ratio for the rest of Clearwater Paper's same-size peers requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API (daily market-structure computation); returns and risk metrics as of 2026-09-28. Beta and Sharpe ratio are versus the broad U.S. equity market, not this industry.
Clearwater Paper's Profitability & Cost Structure
Trailing 12-month margins from SEC-filed financials. Operating margin is compared to the Paper & Paper Products industry median; gross margin, EBITDA margin and capital intensity are compared to the live industry average (22 companies).| Metric | Company | Industry | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross Margin | 5.07 % | 20.15 % (avg) | -15.1 pp |
| Operating Margin | -3.15 % | industry median | -1.0 pp |
| EBITDA Margin | 7.10 % | 7.74 % (avg) | -0.6 pp |
| Capital Intensity (Capex / Revenue) | 4.24 % | 4.30 % (avg) | -0.1 pp |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. SG&A and R&D as a share of revenue have limited coverage as this data is backfilled and appear only where reported. Higher capital intensity is not inherently negative; it reflects the industry's asset requirements.
Clearwater Paper's Valuation vs Competitive Position
Valuation multiples vs the Paper & Paper Products industry average (22 companies, excluding loss-making/negative-equity outliers), alongside returns on capital for context on whether a premium or discount lines up with measurably stronger or weaker returns.| Metric | Company | Industry Average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| P/E | - | 11.8x | - |
| EV / EBITDA | 5.0x | 7.1x | -2.1x |
| P/B | 0.3x | 2.4x | -2.1x |
| Return on Equity | 5.38 % | industry aggregate | 12.75 % |
| Return on Invested Capital | -2.13 % | 1.45 % (avg) | -3.58 % |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. A valuation premium or discount is not, by itself, a judgment of over- or under-valuation. Compare it against the return and growth context shown elsewhere on this page.
Clearwater Paper's Multi-Year Financial Trajectory
Fiscal-year revenue growth, operating margin, return on invested capital and P/E, as reported in SEC filings.| Metric | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth | -0.36 % | 2.16 % | 6.08 % | -5.14 % | 17.35 % | 0.13 % | -10.55 % | -16.51 % |
| Operating Margin | -5.68 % | 2.58 % | 8.46 % | 0.68 % | 5.48 % | 8.50 % | 2.43 % | -2.71 % |
| Return on Invested Capital | -4.97 % | 2.33 % | 7.49 % | 0.60 % | 5.80 % | 8.58 % | 1.86 % | -1.84 % |
| P/E | - | - | 8.2x | - | 13.9x | 5.6x | 2.4x | - |
Source: CSIMarket API, fiscal-year figures. P/E is this company's own historical ratio at each fiscal year end and can swing sharply around an earnings trough: that is real, not a data error.
Clearwater Paper's Strategic Group Map
Every company in Clearwater Paper's industry and named-competitor list, plotted by trailing 12-month revenue growth and operating margin. Clearwater Paper is shown in red; its closest peers by combined growth, margin and ROIC (the Similar Growth & Profitability group above) are labeled.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Extreme outlier values (from near-zero-revenue companies) are excluded from the plotted cloud but never from the highlighted company or its labeled peers.
Clearwater Paper's BCG Growth-Share Matrix
Relative market share (vs Clearwater Paper's largest competitor by market cap) against industry revenue growth, using the standard textbook thresholds (1.0x share, 10% growth) a common framework, not a precision instrument.
Clearwater Paper falls in the Dog quadrant: relative market share of 0.01x vs its largest competitor, in an industry growing revenue -2.1% (median, trailing 12 months).
Source: CSIMarket API (market-cap share and industry revenue growth). The 10% growth and 1.0x share lines are standard textbook thresholds, not derived from this industry's own distribution. A caveat worth reading alongside this chart: Kimberly clark Corporation alone holds 46% of this industry's market cap. In an industry this dominated by one leader, the framework will place nearly every OTHER company in "Dog" or "Question Mark" purely because relative share is measured against that leader, regardless of how strong those other companies actually are on their own fundamentals. Check the Profitability, Valuation and Financial Strength sections above before treating this quadrant label as a verdict.
Clearwater Paper's Competitive Forces (Porter's Five Forces)
Only the forces this data can support honestly are shown; the other three are marked as such rather than guessed.| Force | Assessment | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Competitive Rivalry | Low | Industry HHI of 3,086 (see Industry Market Structure & Concentration above) |
| Barriers to Entry | Moderate, in line with the industry | Capital intensity (capex / revenue) of 4.24 % vs industry average 4.30 % (see Profitability & Cost Structure above) |
| Supplier Power | Not covered on this page | See Clearwater Paper's dedicated suppliers page for concentration and dependency data |
| Buyer Power | Not covered on this page | See Clearwater Paper's dedicated customers page for concentration and dependency data |
| Threat of Substitutes | - | No systematic data source for cross-product substitution exists in this system; not estimated |
Note: this is a partial, data-grounded application of the framework, not a complete strategic assessment. Rivalry and barriers-to-entry readings are mechanical translations of the HHI and capital-intensity figures shown elsewhere on this page, not independent judgments.
Clearwater Paper's Industry Attractiveness & Competitive Strength
A CSIMarket composite, not a standard field: each axis is an equal-weighted average of three factors already shown elsewhere on this page (industry growth, industry profitability and rivalry for attractiveness; relative market share, profitability and growth vs industry for strength). Disclosed as a designed methodology, not a precision measurement.
Clearwater Paper falls in the Medium attractiveness / Low strength cell: Harvest.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Each axis score is a simple 1(low)/2(medium)/3(high) average across its three inputs -- a transparent, disclosed simplification, not a validated academic scoring model.
Clearwater Paper's SWOT
Every point below is a fixed rule applied to a metric already shown elsewhere on this page (Market Structure, Profitability, Valuation, Run-Rate, Stock Performance, Quality Breadth) not an independent strategic assessment. A blank quadrant means no rule was met, not that none apply.Strengths
- Return on equity 12.8 points above the industry aggregate.
Weaknesses
- Latest-quarter revenue run-rate is decelerating (-6.3% annualized vs trailing 12 months).
- Underperforming the U.S.A. 500 over the trailing 12 months.
- Low relative market share vs the industry leader (0.01x).
Opportunities
- A meaningful share of tracked competitors (34.50 %) show financial-distress signals, a possible opening to gain share.
Threats
- Industry dominated by Kimberly clark Corporation, holding 45.51 % of industry market cap.
Methodology: mechanical, rule-based SWOT. Each bullet reuses a figure already sourced and cited elsewhere on this page; nothing here is generated narrative or independent analyst judgment.
Clearwater Paper's Financial Strength vs Peers Comparison
Quick ratio, working capital, debt to equity and asset turnover, trailing 12 months| Company | Quick Ratio | Working Capital | Debt / Equity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clearwater Paper Corporation | 0.16 | 2.25 | 0.42 |
| Procter and Gamble Co | 0.25 | 0.71 | 0.71 |
| Illinois Tool Works Inc | 0.17 | 1.24 | 2.93 |
| Kimberly clark Corporation | 0.10 | 0.80 | 4.08 |
| Church and Dwight Co Inc | 0.26 | 1.13 | 0.53 |
| Packaging Corp Of America | 0.46 | 3.08 | 0.85 |
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Quick ratio = cash / current liabilities; working capital ratio = current assets / current liabilities; asset turnover = revenue / total assets. Peers in the Blank Checks industry are excluded.
Clearwater Paper's Revenue and Income Growth vs Peers
Quarterly revenue and net income growth, year over year and quarter over quarter| Company | Period | Revenue Y/Y | Income Y/Y |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clearwater Paper Corporation | Q1 2026 | -4.7 % | +164.3 % |
| Procter and Gamble Co | Q2 2026 | +1.5 % | -15.0 % |
| Illinois Tool Works Inc | Q2 2026 | +6.1 % | +7.9 % |
| Kimberly clark Corporation | Q2 2026 | +0.6 % | -31.6 % |
| Church and Dwight Co Inc | Q2 2026 | +1.6 % | +6.2 % |
| Packaging Corp Of America | Q2 2026 | +14.7 % | -20.9 % |
| PEERS TOTAL | -7.7 % | +20.7 % |
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Growth is shown only where both periods are positive. Peers in the Blank Checks industry are excluded.
Clearwater Paper's Peers' Costs of Sales and Capital Expenditures
Context for revenue growth: peer costs and capex, year over year and quarter over quarter| Company | Period | Costs Y/Y | Capex Y/Y |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clearwater Paper Corporation | Q1 2026 | +5.8 % | -72.2 % |
| Procter and Gamble Co | Q2 2026 | +2.7 % | +2.7 % |
| Illinois Tool Works Inc | Q2 2026 | -10.5 % | -8.9 % |
| Kimberly clark Corporation | Q2 2026 | -4.5 % | +78.7 % |
| Church and Dwight Co Inc | Q2 2026 | -2.7 % | +32.9 % |
| Packaging Corp Of America | Q2 2026 | +17.1 % | - |
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Clearwater Paper's Returns and Turnover vs Peers
ROA, ROI and ROE (trailing 12 months), receivables and inventory turnover| Company | ROA | ROI | ROE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clearwater Paper Corporation | 2.75% | 3.00% | 5.38% |
| Procter and Gamble Co | 12.72% | 17.81% | 30.05% |
| Illinois Tool Works Inc | 19.64% | 26.49% | 101.72% |
| Kimberly clark Corporation | 11.41% | 19.70% | 115.54% |
| Church and Dwight Co Inc | 8.24% | 8.83% | 17.78% |
| Packaging Corp Of America | 6.35% | 7.44% | 14.85% |
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ROA = net income / total assets; ROI = net income / investments; ROE = net income / equity; turnover ratios use trailing 12 month revenue (receivables) and cost of sales (inventory).
Clearwater Paper's Valuation vs Peers
P/E, price to sales, PEG, price to cash flow and price to book| Company | P/E | Price / Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Clearwater Paper Corporation | - | 0.21 |
| Procter and Gamble Co | 22.62 | 4.15 |
| Illinois Tool Works Inc | 36.46 | 4.77 |
| Kimberly clark Corporation | 16.80 | 1.99 |
| Church and Dwight Co Inc | 30.85 | 3.66 |
| Packaging Corp Of America | 23.71 | 2.19 |
| PEERS AVERAGE | 18.02 | 1.89 |
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P/E = price / diluted EPS (trailing 12 months); PEG = P/E divided by EPS growth; the average row divides the peers' combined market cap by their combined income, sales, cash flow and equity.