INTERNATIONAL PAPER COMPANY vs SONOCO PRODUCTS CO, two Paper & Packaging stocks. A side-by-side on valuation, growth, margins, returns, and what each price is betting.
The gap between these two is the gap between earning and repairing. Sonoco posts 28.33% on equity at a 13.57% net margin and trades for just 5.4 times earnings, one of the cheaper profitable names in packaging. International Paper sits at the other pole, running a loss this cycle as restructuring charges land, which leaves it without a usable earnings multiple. On book the two are close, 1.53 times for Sonoco and 1.39 times for International Paper. Their balance sheets differ sharply: Sonoco carries 1.31 in debt to equity, International Paper 0.06. International Paper pays the larger dividend, 4.77% against 3.83%, while Sonoco converts more to free cash, 3.94% against 2.68%. The profitable operator here is the smaller one at $5.5B.
Comparison updated 2026-07-11.
| Metric | IP | SON |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $37.92 | $55.91 |
| Market cap | $20.2B | $5.6B |
| Sector | Paper & Packaging | Paper & Packaging |
| Stage | Growth | Growth |
| Implied growth (priced in) | +16.7% | -4.7% |
| P/E | — | 5.5 |
| P/B | 1.36 | 1.55 |
| P/S | 0.83 | 0.74 |
| EV/EBITDA | 7.3 | 8.8 |
| Revenue growth | +43.9% | +33.6% |
| Gross margin | — | 20.6% |
| Operating margin | — | 7.6% |
| Net margin | -13.8% | 13.6% |
| Return on equity | -22.6% | 28.3% |
| Return on assets | -9.2% | 9.2% |
| Return on invested capital | — | 9.7% |
| FCF yield | 2.7% | 3.9% |
| Dividend yield | 4.9% | 3.8% |
| Debt / equity | 0.06 | 1.31 |
| Current ratio | 1.21 | 0.96 |
| Altman Z (solvency) | 6.90 | 1.58 |
| Piotroski F (quality) | 7 / 9 | 4 / 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.