Packaging Of America's Competitiveness
A competitive positioning analysis and financial ratio benchmarking of Packaging Of America (PKG) 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: Packaging Of America vs Its Competitors
- TTM: Trailing 12-month revenue of 9,536M vs 124,608M combined for its competitors (7.1% combined share).
- Trending: Latest-quarter revenue run-rate is accelerating (+4.4% annualized vs trailing 12 months), vs accelerating (+3.9%) for its tracked peer group.
- Growth: Packaging Of America generated 14.7% revenue growth year over year in Q2 2026, vs 2.9% for its competitors combined.
- Profitability: Its 7.7% net margin compares with 2.2% for the peer group.
- Scale: Packaging Of America ranks #2 of 11 companies by market capitalization in the Containers & Packaging industry, holding 22.7% of industry market cap.
- Peer revenue share: Packaging Of America accounted for 7.1% of combined revenue among its tracked peer group, up from 6.5% a year earlier.
- Peer differentiation: Revenue per employee of $0.57M compares with $0.42M for the peer group (1.4x).
- Structure: Packaging Of America operates in the following segments: Packaging, Paper, Corporate and Other.
Every figure above is sourced and cited in detail further down this page (Market Structure, Profitability & Cost Structure, Productivity vs Peers).
PKG Sales vs. its Competitors, Q2 2026
Packaging Of America reported revenue growth of 14.67 % year on year in Q2 2026, above its competitors' combined revenue growth of 2.93 %.
With a net margin of 7.67 %, Packaging Of America achieved higher profitability than its competitors (2.16 %).
Packaging Of America generated 7.14 % of the combined sales of its peer group, up from 6.46 % a year earlier.
API endpoints for this dataset
Packaging Of America vs. its Competitors, Q2 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 Packaging Of America reports; 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 Packaging Of America and its 4 competitor groupings. Available under Commercial License.
| Entity | TTM Revenue | Rev Run-rate vs TTM |
|---|---|---|
| Packaging Corp Of America | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Competitors combined | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| High-Confidence Competitors (2) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Similar-Size Competitors (6) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Similar Growth & Profitability (7) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
TTM revenue, run-rate and net margin benchmarking across Packaging Of America's competitor groups requires a Commercial License.
For context: the Containers & Packaging industry grew revenue 4.4% year over year, combined, vs 14.7% for Packaging Of America. Packaging Of America's share of combined industry revenue moved from 5.80% to 6.37%, a gain of 0.57 percentage points.
Packaging Of America's Competitor Quality Breadth
Group definitions: see Methodology: Performance Group Definitions.
| Entity | Profitable | Expanding | Above Industry Growth | Distressed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Packaging Corp Of America | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Competitors combined (21) | ||||
| High-Confidence Competitors (3) | ||||
| Similar-Size Competitors (6) | ||||
| Similar Growth & Profitability (8) | 62.50 % (5 of 8) | 75.00 % (6 of 8) | 62.50 % (5 of 8) | 0.00 % (0 of 8) |
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.
PKG Stock Performance relative to its Competitors
PKG Stock Performance relative to High-Confidence Competitors
PKG Stock Performance relative to Similar-Size Competitors
PKG 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 | Domtar Corporation | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 2 | Sealed Air Corp | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 3 | Stepan Company | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 4 | Magnera Corporation | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 5 | Ball Corporation | 282.9% | Outperformed |
TTM share price return and U.S.A. 500 outperformance for Packaging Of America's best-performing competitors requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months.
Packaging Of America's Comment on Competition and Industry Peers
On a national level, our primary competitors are International Paper Company, WestRock Company, Georgia-Pacific LLC, KapStone Paper and Packaging Corporation, and Pratt Industries. However, with our strategic focus on regional and local accounts, we also compete with the smaller, independent producers.
The markets in which our Paper segment competes are large and highly competitive. Commodity grades of white paper are globally traded, with numerous worldwide manufacturers, and as a result, these products compete primarily on the basis of price. All of our paper manufacturing facilities are located in the United States, and although we compete primarily in the domestic market, we do face competition from foreign producers and have experienced increased foreign competition in recent years. The level of this competition varies depending on domestic and foreign demand and foreign currency exchange rates. In general, paper production does not rely on proprietary processes or formulas, except in highly specialized or custom grades.
Our largest competitors include Domtar Corporation, International Paper Company, and Georgia-Pacific LLC. We also face competition from overseas producers. Although price is the primary basis for competition in most of our paper grades, quality and service are also important competitive determinants. Our white papers compete with electronic data transmission, e-readers, electronic document storage alternatives, and paper grades we do not produce. Increasing shifts to these alternatives
Publicly Traded Peers of Packaging Corp Of America
Revenue and income for trailing 12 months, in millions of $, except employees| Company | Market Cap | Revenues |
|---|---|---|
 Packaging Corp Of America |
22,223.30 | 9,535.70 |
 Illinois Tool Works Inc |
80,155.04 | 16,646.00 |
 International Paper Company |
18,283.64 | 22,941.00 |
 Ball Corporation |
17,390.95 | 15,155.00 |
 Weyerhaeuser Company |
15,136.31 | 6,997.00 |
 Crown Holdings Inc |
13,136.79 | 13,765.00 |
| SUBTOTAL | 208,035.88 | 155,334.43 |
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Sources: see Methodology: Peer & Competitor Identification, Sourcing.
Updated on:
Focus of this report: publicly traded companies. Ten additional tables on Packaging Corp Of America versus competitors, including market share analysis, are in the navigation menu under Competition. To download the tables, please subscribe.
Packaging Of America's Competitors Named by the Company
Competitive relationships identified from Packaging Of America reports and corroborating sources, each with a basis and confidence.| Competitor | Basis | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Amcor Plc | Company report | 85% |
| WestRock Company | Company report | 85% |
| International Paper Company | Company report | 85% |
| Pratt Industries | Company report | 85% |
| Georgia-Pacific LLC | Company report | 85% |
| Graphic Packaging Holding Co | Company report | 85% |
| Domtar Corporation | Company report | 85% |
| Crown Holdings Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Sealed Air Corp | Company report | 85% |
| Pactiv Evergreen Inc | Company report | 85% |
| O i Glass Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Clearwater Paper Corporation | Company report | 85% |
| Sonoco Products Company | Company report | 85% |
| Resolute Forest Products Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Weyerhaeuser Company | Company report | 85% |
| Ball Corporation | Company report | 85% |
| Berry Global Group Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Aptargroup inc | Company report | 85% |
| Greif Inc | Company report | 85% |
Company report basis, confidence, active dates and source counts for Packaging Of America's named competitors require a Commercial License.
Methodology: see Methodology: Peer & Competitor Identification, Sourcing.
Packaging Of America'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 |
|---|---|
| Packaging Corp Of America | Packaging 92.83 % |
| Illinois Tool Works Inc | Test and Measurement and Electronics 19.33 % |
| International Paper Company | Packaging Solutions North America 60.73 % |
| Ball Corporation | Metal Beverage Packaging North and Central America 49.19 % |
| Weyerhaeuser Company | Wood Products 74.38 % |
| Crown Holdings Inc | Americas Beverage 45.81 % |
Source: operating segment revenue as reported in each company's reports (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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Packaging Of America'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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Packaging Corp Of America | 22,223 | 567,601 | 41,113 |
| Illinois Tool Works Inc | 80,155 | 387,116 | 75,070 |
| International Paper Company | 18,284 | 366,458 | -54,918 |
| Ball Corporation | 17,391 | 947,188 | 33,375 |
| Weyerhaeuser Company | 15,136 | 735,211 | 47,599 |
| Crown Holdings Inc | 13,137 | 598,478 | 39,478 |
| PEERS TOTAL | 185,813 | 419,818 | 4,135 |
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Packaging Of America's Geographic Revenue Exposure vs Peers
Revenue by country/region as reported in each company's most recent report. Disclosure granularity varies by filer (some report by country, others by broad region) and is shown as disclosed.| Company | Largest Market |
|---|---|
| International Paper Company | EMEA 38.90 % |
| Aptargroup inc | Europe 49.20 % |
| Berry Global Group Inc | United States and Canada 56.51 % |
| Sealed Air Corp | Americas 64.01 % |
| Sonoco Products Company | Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) 45.35 % |
Source: revenue geography as reported in each company's reports (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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Packaging Of America's Position in Industry Market Structure
Market-capitalization share and concentration across all 11 companies in Packaging Of America's industry classification, broader than the peer set above. Market cap in millions of $.Packaging Of America ranks #2 of 11 companies by market capitalization in its industry, holding 22.73 % of total industry market cap. The industry's Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) is 1,683, indicating a moderately concentrated market structure (see Methodology: Market Structure & Concentration).
| Rank | Company | Market Cap | Industry Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Smurfit Westrock Plc | 23,191 | 23.72 % |
| 2 | Packaging Corp Of America | 22,223 | 22.73 % |
| 3 | Ball Corporation | 17,610 | 18.01 % |
| 4 | Crown Holdings Inc | 13,319 | 13.62 % |
| 5 | Reynolds Consumer Products Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 6 | Sonoco Products Company | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 7 | Silgan Holdings Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 8 | Graphic Packaging Holding Co | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 9 | Ardagh Metal Packaging S a | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 10 | O i Glass Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
Market cap and industry share for the rest of Packaging Of America's industry peers requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API (daily market-structure computation) across CSIMarket's industry classification, market capitalization as of 2026-11-06.
Packaging Of America'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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Smurfit Westrock Plc | 23,191 | 21.39 % |
| 2 | Packaging Corp Of America | 22,223 | 23.96 % |
| 3 | Ball Corporation | 17,610 | 32.81 % |
| 4 | Crown Holdings Inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 5 | Reynolds Consumer Products Inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 6 | Sonoco Products Company | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 7 | Silgan Holdings Inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
Market cap, return, momentum, beta and Sharpe ratio for the rest of Packaging Of America's same-size peers requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API (daily market-structure computation); returns and risk metrics as of 2026-11-06. Beta and Sharpe ratio are versus the broad U.S. equity market, not this industry.
Packaging Of America's Profitability & Cost Structure
Trailing 12-month margins from SEC-filed financials. Operating margin is compared to the Containers & Packaging industry median; gross margin, EBITDA margin and capital intensity are compared to the live industry average (18 companies). See the full Containers & Packaging industry profitability benchmarks.| Metric | Company | Industry | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross Margin | 20.11 % | 15.04 % (avg) | +5.1 pp |
| Operating Margin | 10.86 % | industry median | +8.5 pp |
| EBITDA Margin | 19.08 % | 8.78 % (avg) | +10.3 pp |
| Capital Intensity (Capex / Revenue) | 5.68 % | 4.26 % (avg) | +1.4 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.
Packaging Of America's Valuation vs Competitive Position
Valuation multiples vs the Containers & Packaging industry average (18 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. See the full Containers & Packaging industry valuation benchmarks.| Metric | Company | Industry Average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| P/E | - | 35.0x | - |
| EV / EBITDA | 12.6x | 12.7x | -0.1x |
| P/B | 4.2x | 2.0x | +2.2x |
| Return on Equity | 14.85 % | industry aggregate | 7.36 % |
| Return on Invested Capital | 7.43 % | 1.86 % (avg) | 5.57 % |
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.
Packaging Of America's Multi-Year Financial Trajectory
Fiscal-year revenue growth, operating margin, return on invested capital and P/E, as reported in company reports.| Metric | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth | 10.82 % | -2.49 % | -4.40 % | 16.10 % | 9.67 % | -7.97 % | 7.51 % | 7.17 % |
| Operating Margin | 15.33 % | 15.13 % | 10.87 % | 16.06 % | 16.76 % | 13.78 % | 13.13 % | 12.31 % |
| Return on Invested Capital | 13.46 % | 11.30 % | 7.29 % | 11.75 % | 13.01 % | 10.26 % | 9.84 % | 8.63 % |
| P/E | 11.1x | 15.0x | 27.9x | 15.2x | 11.9x | 18.6x | 25.9x | 23.7x |
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.
Packaging Of America's Strategic Group Map
Packaging Of America is shown in red; its closest peers by combined growth, margin and ROIC are labeled. See Methodology: Strategic Group Map for how this chart is built.
Packaging Of America's trailing-12-month revenue growth of 10.3% and operating margin of 10.9% compares with an average of 4.8% growth and 8.6% margin across its 8 closest peers by combined growth, margin and ROIC -- Packaging Of America sits above that peer average on growth and above it on margin.
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.
Packaging Of America's BCG Growth-Share Matrix
See Methodology: BCG Growth-Share Matrix for how relative share and growth are calculated and thresholded.
Packaging Of America falls in the Dog quadrant: relative market share of 0.96x vs its largest competitor, in an industry growing revenue 1.7% (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.
Packaging Of America'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 | Moderate | Industry HHI of 1,683 (see Industry Market Structure & Concentration above) |
| Barriers to Entry | High (capital intensive) | Capital intensity (capex / revenue) of 5.68 % vs industry average 4.26 % (see Profitability & Cost Structure above) |
Note: see Methodology: Porter's Five Forces. Supplier power and buyer power are covered on Packaging Of America's dedicated Suppliers and Customers pages, not here.
Packaging Of America's Industry Attractiveness & Competitive Strength
See Methodology: GE/McKinsey Matrix for how the two axes are built.
Packaging Of America falls in the Low attractiveness / High strength cell: Selective.
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.
Packaging Of America'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
- Operating margin 8.5 points above the industry median.
- Return on equity 7.4 points above the industry aggregate.
- Latest-quarter revenue run-rate is accelerating (+4.4% annualized vs trailing 12 months).
- Outperforming the U.S.A. 500 over the trailing 12 months.
Weaknesses
No rule matched.
Opportunities
No rule matched.
Threats
- High capital intensity requires continuous reinvestment just to keep pace with the industry.
Methodology: see Methodology: SWOT Analysis.
Packaging Of America'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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Packaging Corp Of America | 0.46 | 3.08 | 0.85 |
| Illinois Tool Works Inc | 0.15 | 1.20 | 2.98 |
| International Paper Company | 0.14 | 1.23 | 0.77 |
| Ball Corporation | 0.12 | 1.08 | 1.62 |
| Weyerhaeuser Company | 0.41 | 1.55 | 0.55 |
| Crown Holdings Inc | 0.16 | 1.08 | 1.80 |
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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.
Packaging Of America'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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Packaging Corp Of America | Q2 2026 | +14.7 % | -20.9 % |
| Illinois Tool Works Inc | Q3 2026 | +4.4 % | +4.1 % |
| International Paper Company | Q2 2026 | -11.3 % | - |
| Ball Corporation | Q3 2026 | +23.6 % | - |
| Weyerhaeuser Company | Q3 2026 | +8.4 % | -23.8 % |
| Crown Holdings Inc | Q3 2026 | +15.9 % | -5.9 % |
| PEERS TOTAL | +1.8 % | -61.6 % |
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Growth is shown only where both periods are positive. Peers in the Blank Checks industry are excluded.
Packaging Of America'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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Packaging Corp Of America | Q2 2026 | +17.1 % | - |
| Illinois Tool Works Inc | Q3 2026 | -12.8 % | -12.8 % |
| International Paper Company | Q2 2026 | -1.8 % | +26.3 % |
| Ball Corporation | Q3 2026 | +28.8 % | +23.6 % |
| Weyerhaeuser Company | Q3 2026 | +6.1 % | -97.9 % |
| Crown Holdings Inc | Q3 2026 | +25.2 % | +16.3 % |
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Packaging Of America's Returns and Turnover vs Peers
ROA, ROI and ROE (trailing 12 months), receivables and inventory turnover| Company | ROA | ROI | ROE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Packaging Corp Of America | 6.35% | 7.44% | 14.85% |
| Illinois Tool Works Inc | 19.74% | 22.80% | 103.35% |
| International Paper Company | - | - | - |
| Ball Corporation | 2.68% | 3.06% | 9.47% |
| Weyerhaeuser Company | 2.75% | 2.88% | 4.81% |
| Crown Holdings Inc | 6.29% | 8.75% | 26.47% |
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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).
Packaging Of America's Valuation vs Peers
P/E, price to sales, PEG, price to cash flow and price to book| Company | P/E | Price / Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Packaging Corp Of America | 25.25 | 2.33 |
| Illinois Tool Works Inc | 36.49 | 4.82 |
| International Paper Company | - | 0.80 |
| Ball Corporation | 33.63 | 1.15 |
| Weyerhaeuser Company | 33.16 | 2.16 |
| Crown Holdings Inc | 18.86 | 0.95 |
| PEERS AVERAGE | 97.82 | 1.34 |
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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.