KIMBERLY-CLARK CORPORATION vs SONOCO PRODUCTS CO, two Paper & Packaging stocks. A side-by-side on valuation, growth, margins, returns, and what each price is betting.
Net margins run close here, 13.57% at Sonoco and 12.8% at Kimberly-Clark, but the market prices the two very differently. Sonoco changes hands for 5.4 times earnings against Kimberly-Clark's 17.19 times. The difference sits partly in the balance sheet: Sonoco carries 1.31 in debt to equity, Kimberly-Clark a lighter 0.32, and Sonoco's diversified industrial packaging swings more with the economy than tissue and diapers do. Kimberly-Clark pays the larger dividend, 4.6% against 3.83%, and converts more to free cash, 5.04% against 3.94%. At $36.5B against $5.5B, the steadier, less-levered staples maker carries the premium, and the leverage helps explain Sonoco's discount.
Comparison updated 2026-07-11.
| Metric | KMB | SON |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $112.38 | $55.91 |
| Market cap | $37.4B | $5.6B |
| Sector | Paper & Packaging | Paper & Packaging |
| Stage | Mature | Growth |
| Implied growth (priced in) | -4.0% | -4.7% |
| P/E | 17.6 | 5.5 |
| P/B | 19.56 | 1.55 |
| P/S | 2.26 | 0.74 |
| EV/EBITDA | 14.1 | 8.8 |
| Revenue growth | +0.2% | +33.6% |
| Gross margin | 36.9% | 20.6% |
| Operating margin | 18.1% | 7.6% |
| Net margin | 12.8% | 13.6% |
| Return on equity | 110.7% | 28.3% |
| Return on assets | 12.3% | 9.2% |
| Return on invested capital | 77.4% | 9.7% |
| FCF yield | 4.9% | 3.9% |
| Dividend yield | 4.5% | 3.8% |
| Debt / equity | 0.32 | 1.31 |
| Current ratio | 0.77 | 0.96 |
| Altman Z (solvency) | 7.80 | 1.58 |
| Piotroski F (quality) | 8 / 9 | 4 / 9 |
Each week boothcheck ranks the stocks whose prices are betting on the most. Read the most stretched bets archive →
boothcheck is also on Android. Get the app on Google Play →
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.