Graphic Packaging Holding Co vs PACKAGING CORP OF AMERICA, two Paper & Packaging stocks. A side-by-side on valuation, growth, margins, returns, and what each price is betting.
Where GPK and PKG diverge most: on implied growth (priced in), GPK reads -2.5% and PKG reads +13.7%; on revenue growth, GPK reads +0.1% and PKG reads +10.3%. The rest of the comparable metrics sit closer together. On valuation, today's GPK price has a different growth bar priced in than PKG (-2.5% implied for GPK vs +13.7% for PKG); the higher figure is the steeper assumption to clear, not a better or worse stock. What GPK's price implies is a bet that sits within the historical range (whole-company basis). What PKG's price implies is a bet that sits within the historical range (whole-company basis). The bull and bear cases for each are in their full reports below.
| Metric | GPK | PKG |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $8.35 | $230.98 |
| Market cap | $2.5B | $20.6B |
| Sector | Paper & Packaging | Paper & Packaging |
| Stage | Mature | Mature |
| Implied growth (priced in) | -2.5% | +13.7% |
| P/E | 12.7 | 30.0 |
| P/B | 0.77 | 4.41 |
| P/S | 0.29 | 2.16 |
| EV/EBITDA | 7.4 | 13.3 |
| Revenue growth | +0.1% | +10.3% |
| Gross margin | — | 20.6% |
| Operating margin | 4.3% | 11.7% |
| Net margin | 2.3% | 7.3% |
| Return on equity | 6.0% | 14.8% |
| Return on assets | 1.7% | 6.3% |
| Return on invested capital | 5.3% | 8.9% |
| FCF yield | 7.6% | 3.6% |
| Dividend yield | — | 2.2% |
| Debt / equity | 1.72 | 0.85 |
| Current ratio | 1.38 | 2.94 |
| Altman Z (solvency) | 7.04 | 7.70 |
| Piotroski F (quality) | 7 / 9 | 8 / 9 |
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The stronger value is highlighted per metric where one is strictly better on that single number; it is not an overall verdict on either company. For informational and research purposes only. Not investment advice. Not a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security. boothcheck is not a registered investment adviser. Past performance does not guarantee future results.