KIMBERLY-CLARK CORPORATION vs Smurfit Westrock plc, two Paper & Packaging stocks. A side-by-side on valuation, growth, margins, returns, and what each price is betting.
These two are close in size, $36.5B and $24.7B, but not in what their numbers currently say. Kimberly-Clark earns a steady 12.8% net margin selling tissue and personal care, priced at 17.19 times earnings. Smurfit Westrock, still absorbing a major merger, shows a 1.22% net margin and 65.26 times earnings, figures that understate the containerboard business until integration finishes. Kimberly-Clark pays the larger dividend, 4.6% against 3.66%, and converts more to free cash, 5.04% against 4.13%. Smurfit Westrock carries almost no debt, 0.05 against 0.32. The staples maker's profits are real now; the boxmaker's are waiting on a merger to clear.
Comparison updated 2026-07-11.
| Metric | KMB | SW |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $112.38 | $44.22 |
| Market cap | $37.4B | $23.3B |
| Sector | Paper & Packaging | Paper & Packaging |
| Stage | Mature | Growth |
| Implied growth (priced in) | -4.0% | +13.9% |
| P/E | 17.6 | 61.4 |
| P/B | 19.56 | 1.29 |
| P/S | 2.26 | 0.74 |
| EV/EBITDA | 14.1 | 5.8 |
| Revenue growth | +0.2% | +43.3% |
| Gross margin | 36.9% | 16.4% |
| Operating margin | 18.1% | 3.3% |
| Net margin | 12.8% | 1.2% |
| Return on equity | 110.7% | 2.1% |
| Return on assets | 12.3% | 0.8% |
| Return on invested capital | 77.4% | 5.6% |
| FCF yield | 4.9% | 4.4% |
| Dividend yield | 4.5% | 3.9% |
| Debt / equity | 0.32 | 0.05 |
| Current ratio | 0.77 | 1.44 |
| Altman Z (solvency) | 7.80 | 1.39 |
| Piotroski F (quality) | 8 / 9 | 6 / 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.