Packaging Corporation Raises Containerboard Price to $70 per Ton
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Jan 26 2026
0mins
Source: seekingalpha
- Price Increase: Packaging Corporation of America has announced a price hike to $70 per ton for containerboard effective March 1, with expectations that other industry players will follow suit, particularly International Paper.
- Market Timing: Analyst Philip Ng noted that the timing of this price increase announcement is earlier than anticipated, although spring price hikes typically occur in March or April, making it not surprising.
- Industry Leadership: The company has led the industry with January price hikes for the past two years, and if the full $70 per ton increase is realized, major competitors like International Paper and Smurfit Westrock could see EBITDA growth of 10% to 20%.
- Demand Trends: While overall containerboard market demand remains steady, it exhibits seasonal fluctuations, with demand expected to rise during the agricultural season and the impact of 9.4% capacity closures starting to be felt.
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Analyst Views on PKG
Wall Street analysts forecast PKG stock price to fall
8 Analyst Rating
6 Buy
2 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 245.080
Low
226.00
Averages
242.86
High
273.00
Current: 245.080
Low
226.00
Averages
242.86
High
273.00
About PKG
Packaging Corporation of America is a producer of containerboard products and a producer of uncoated freesheet (UFS) paper in North America. The Company operates eight mills and 86 corrugated products plants and related facilities. Its segments include Packaging, Paper and Corporate and Other. Its containerboard mills produce linerboard and corrugating medium, which are papers primarily used in the production of corrugated products. Its corrugated products manufacturing plants produce a variety of corrugated packaging products. In addition, it also produces packaging for meat, fresh fruit, and vegetables, processed food, beverages, and other industrial and consumer products. It manufactures and sells papers, including both commodity and specialty papers, which may have custom or specialized features, such as colors, coatings, high brightness, and recycled content. Its papers consist of communication papers, including cut-size office papers, and printing and converting papers.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- Stock Movements: Seagate Technology Holdings surged 10.02% after reporting better-than-expected earnings and strong guidance, indicating enhanced competitiveness in the storage solutions market, which may attract more investor interest.
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- Revenue Growth Weakness: Despite a 9.8% year-over-year revenue increase to $2.36 billion, the figure missed expectations by $80 million, reflecting soft market demand and intensified competition.
- Annual Performance Overview: The full-year net income for 2025 was $774 million, or $8.58 per share, while excluding special items, net income was $888 million, or $9.84 per share, highlighting earnings volatility influenced by special items.
- Stock Price Reaction: Following the earnings report, shares fell 1.62% in after-hours trading, indicating a negative market reaction to the results and prompting investors to reassess the company's future growth potential.
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- Sales Growth: The company achieved net sales of $2.4 billion in Q4 2025, a 14.3% increase from $2.1 billion in Q4 2024, reflecting sustained demand and market share growth in the packaging sector.
- Impact of Special Items: Excluding special items, diluted EPS was $2.32, down $0.15 year-over-year, primarily due to lower production and sales volumes along with rising operating costs, highlighting the cost pressures faced by the company.
- Future Outlook: The company anticipates Q1 2026 earnings of $2.20 per share, facing seasonal slowdowns and rising costs, yet remains optimistic about increased daily production and price improvements in its packaging operations.
See More
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- Earnings Expectation: The expected earnings are projected to be $2.20 per share.
See More
