Veritiv's Competitiveness
A competitive positioning analysis and financial ratio benchmarking of Veritiv (VRTV) 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: Veritiv vs Its Competitors
- TTM: Trailing 12-month revenue of 6,092M vs 1,568M combined for its competitors (79.5% combined share).
- Trending: Latest-quarter revenue run-rate is accelerating (+16.1% annualized vs trailing 12 months), vs accelerating (+34.4%) for its tracked peer group.
- Growth: Veritiv generated 11.1% revenue growth year over year in Q3 2021, vs 18.6% for its competitors combined.
- Profitability: Its 5.3% net margin compares with 3.8% for the peer group.
- Peer revenue share: Veritiv accounted for 77.1% of combined revenue among its tracked peer group, down from 78.2% a year earlier.
- Peer differentiation: Revenue per employee of $1.52M compares with $0.33M for the peer group (4.6x).
- Structure: Veritiv operates in the following segments: Packaging, Print Solutions, Facility Solutions.
Every figure above is sourced and cited in detail further down this page (Market Structure, Profitability & Cost Structure, Productivity vs Peers).
VRTV Sales vs. its Competitors, Q3 2021
Veritiv reported revenue growth of 11.10 % year on year in Q3 2021, below its competitors' combined revenue growth of 18.60 %.
With a net margin of 5.32 %, Veritiv achieved higher profitability than its competitors (3.84 %).
Veritiv generated 77.05 % of the combined sales of its peer group, down from 78.18 % a year earlier.
API endpoints for this dataset
Veritiv vs. its Competitors, Q3 2021
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 Veritiv 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 Veritiv and its 4 competitor groupings. Available under Commercial License.
| Entity | TTM Revenue | Rev Run-rate vs TTM |
|---|---|---|
| Veritiv Corporation | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Competitors combined | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Similar Growth & Profitability (5) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
TTM revenue, run-rate and net margin benchmarking across Veritiv's competitor groups requires a Commercial License.
For context: the Paper & Paper Products industry grew revenue 4.1% year over year, combined, vs 11.1% for Veritiv. Veritiv's share of combined industry revenue moved from 4.71% to 5.02%, a gain of 0.31 percentage points.
Veritiv's Competitor Quality Breadth
Group definitions: see Methodology: Performance Group Definitions.
| Entity | Profitable | Expanding | Above Industry Growth | Distressed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Veritiv Corporation | Yes | No | No | No |
| Competitors combined (1) | ||||
| Similar Growth & Profitability (8) | 62.50 % (5 of 8) | 25.00 % (2 of 8) | 50.00 % (4 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.
VRTV Stock Performance relative to its Competitors
VRTV 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 | Acco Brands Corporation | 282.9% | Outperformed |
TTM share price return and U.S.A. 500 outperformance for Veritiv's best-performing competitors requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months.
Veritiv's Comment on Competition and Industry Peers
The following summary briefly describes the key competitive landscape for each of Veritiv’s business segments:
Print – Industry sources estimate that there are hundreds of regional
and local companies engaged in the marketing and distribution of paper and graphics
products. While the Company believes there are few national distributors of
paper and graphics products similar to Veritiv, several regional and local distributors
have cooperated together to serve customers nationally. The Company’s
customers also have the opportunity to purchase products directly from paper
and graphics manufacturers. In addition, competitors also include regional and
local specialty distributors, office supply and big box stores, independent
brokers and large commercial printers that broker the sale of paper in connection
with the sale of their printing services.
Publishing – The publishing market is serviced by printers, paper brokers
and distributors. The Company’s customers also have the opportunity to
purchase paper directly from paper manufacturers. The market consists primarily
of magazine and book publishers, cataloguers, direct mailers and retail customers
using catalog, insert and direct mail as a method of advertising. Veritiv’s
brokerage companies, Bulkley Dunton and Graphic Communications, act in a consulting
capacity in the selection of products as well as providing supply chain services
and solutions.
Packaging – The packaging market is fragmented and consists of competition
from national and regional packaging distributors, national and regional manufacturers
of packaging materials, independent brokers and both catalog-based and online
business-to-business suppliers. Veritiv believes there are few national packaging
distributors with substrate neutral design capabilities similar to the Company’s
capabilities.
Facility Solutions – There are few national, but numerous regional and
local distributors of facility supply solutions. Several groups of distributors
have created strategic alliances among multiple distributors to provide broader
geographic coverage for larger customers. Other key competitors include the
business-to-business divisions of big box stores, purchasing group affiliates
and both catalog-based and online business-to-business suppliers.
We believe that our competitive advantages include over 1,600 sales and marketing
professionals and the breadth of our selection of quality products, including
high-quality private brands. The breadth of products distributed and services
offered, the diversity of the types of customers served, and our broad geographic
footprint in the U.S., Canada and Mexico buffer the impact of regional economic
declines while also providing a network to readily serve national accounts.
Publicly Traded Peers of Veritiv Corporation
Revenue and income for trailing 12 months, in millions of $, except employees| Company | Market Cap | Revenues |
|---|---|---|
 Veritiv Corporation |
2,340.76 | 6,091.90 |
 Acco Brands Corporation |
505.92 | 1,567.90 |
| SUBTOTAL | 2,846.68 | 7,659.80 |
Sources: see Methodology: Peer & Competitor Identification, Sourcing.
Updated on:
Focus of this report: publicly traded companies. Ten additional tables on Veritiv Corporation versus competitors, including market share analysis, are in the navigation menu under Competition. To download the tables, please subscribe.
Veritiv's Competitors Named by the Company
Competitive relationships identified from Veritiv reports and corroborating sources, each with a basis and confidence.| Competitor | Basis | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Rr Donnelley and Sons Co | Company report | 85% |
Company report basis, confidence, active dates and source counts for Veritiv's named competitors require a Commercial License.
Methodology: see Methodology: Peer & Competitor Identification, Sourcing.
Veritiv'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 |
|---|---|
| Veritiv Corporation | Packaging 60.94 % |
| Acco Brands Corporation | ACCO Brands Americas 57.80 % |
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).
Veritiv'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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veritiv Corporation | 2,341 | 1,522,975 | 159,425 |
| Acco Brands Corporation | 506 | 333,596 | 14,106 |
| PEERS TOTAL | 506 | 333,596 | 14,106 |
Veritiv'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 (26 companies). See the full Paper & Paper Products industry profitability benchmarks.| Metric | Company | Industry | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross Margin | 24.32 % | 17.56 % (avg) | +6.8 pp |
| Operating Margin | 6.23 % | industry median | +5.5 pp |
| EBITDA Margin | 12.93 % | 10.68 % (avg) | +2.2 pp |
| Capital Intensity (Capex / Revenue) | 0.24 % | 5.22 % (avg) | -5.0 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.
Veritiv's Valuation vs Competitive Position
Valuation multiples vs the Paper & Paper Products industry average (26 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 Paper & Paper Products industry valuation benchmarks.| Metric | Company | Industry Average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| P/E | 12.1x | 20.8x | -8.6x |
| EV / EBITDA | 3.0x | 9.6x | -6.6x |
| P/B | 2.5x | 2.3x | +0.2x |
| Return on Equity | 75.15 % | industry aggregate | 60.93 % |
| Return on Invested Capital | 17.14 % | -0.58 % (avg) | 17.72 % |
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.
Veritiv's Multi-Year Financial Trajectory
Fiscal-year revenue growth, operating margin, return on invested capital and P/E, as reported in company reports.| Metric | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth | -2.36 % | 3.96 % | -11.92 % | -17.15 % | 7.96 % | 4.32 % |
| Operating Margin | 0.25 % | 0.18 % | 0.27 % | 0.26 % | 3.07 % | 6.17 % |
| Return on Invested Capital | 0.95 % | 0.72 % | 0.89 % | 0.76 % | 9.87 % | 20.39 % |
| P/E | - | - | - | - | 28.9x | 7.4x |
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.
Veritiv's Strategic Group Map
Veritiv 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.
Veritiv's trailing-12-month revenue growth of -17.1% and operating margin of 6.2% compares with an average of -3.0% growth and 4.1% margin across its 8 closest peers by combined growth, margin and ROIC -- Veritiv sits below 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.
Veritiv'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 |
|---|---|---|
| Barriers to Entry | Lower than typical for the industry | Capital intensity (capex / revenue) of 0.24 % vs industry average 5.22 % (see Profitability & Cost Structure above) |
Note: see Methodology: Porter's Five Forces. Supplier power and buyer power are covered on Veritiv's dedicated Suppliers and Customers pages, not here.
Veritiv's Industry Attractiveness & Competitive Strength
See Methodology: GE/McKinsey Matrix for how the two axes are built.
Veritiv falls in the Low attractiveness / Low strength cell: Harvest / Divest.
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.
Veritiv'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 5.5 points above the industry median.
- Return on equity 60.9 points above the industry aggregate.
- Latest-quarter revenue run-rate is accelerating (+16.1% annualized vs trailing 12 months).
Weaknesses
No rule matched.
Opportunities
- Trades at a lower P/E than the industry average (12.1x vs 20.8x) despite a higher return on invested capital -- a possible re-rating opportunity.
Threats
No rule matched.
Methodology: see Methodology: SWOT Analysis.
Veritiv'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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veritiv Corporation | - | 2.09 | 0.23 |
| Acco Brands Corporation | - | 1.81 | 1.30 |
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.
Veritiv'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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veritiv Corporation | Q3 2021 | -19.0 % | -36.4 % |
| Acco Brands Corporation | Q3 2026 | -0.9 % | +187.5 % |
| PEERS TOTAL | -15.8 % | -32.6 % |
Growth is shown only where both periods are positive. Peers in the Blank Checks industry are excluded.
Veritiv'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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veritiv Corporation | Q3 2021 | -20.9 % | -27.7 % |
| Acco Brands Corporation | Q3 2026 | -4.9 % | - |
Veritiv's Returns and Turnover vs Peers
ROA, ROI and ROE (trailing 12 months), receivables and inventory turnover| Company | ROA | ROI | ROE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veritiv Corporation | 31.36% | 46.67% | 75.15% |
| Acco Brands Corporation | 2.91% | 3.49% | 9.73% |
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).
Veritiv's Valuation vs Peers
P/E, price to sales, PEG, price to cash flow and price to book| Company | P/E | Price / Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Veritiv Corporation | 13.29 | 0.38 |
| Acco Brands Corporation | 7.51 | 0.32 |
| PEERS AVERAGE | 4.04 | 0.37 |
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.