What You Need to Know Ahead of Packaging Corporation’s Earnings Release

Lake Forest, Illinois-based Packaging Corporation of America (PKG) is a leading North American producer of corrugated packaging and containerboard, supplying the boxes, displays and protective packaging used to ship and merchandise everything from food and beverages to industrial and consumer products. Valued at a market cap of $20.8 billion, PCA operates 10 mills and 91 corrugated-products facilities, giving it an integrated footprint from producing containerboard to converting it into finished packaging. 

PKG is expected to announce its FY2026 Q3 earnings after the market closes on Wednesday, Oct. 21.  As the earnings date approaches, analysts expect this packaging company to report a profit of $2.94 per share, up 7.7% from $2.73 per share in the year-ago quarter. The company has topped Wall Street’s bottom-line estimates in two of the last four quarters, while missing on two other occasions. 

For the current fiscal year, ending in December, analysts expect PKG to report a profit of $10.45 per share, up 6.2% from $9.84 per share in fiscal 2025. Furthermore, its EPS is expected to grow 28.4% year over year to $13.42 in fiscal 2027.

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Shares of PKG have gained 5.2% over the past 52 weeks, underperforming the S&P 500 Index's ($SPX) 14% return. However, the stock has outpaced the State Street Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR ETF’s (XLY) 9.2% downtick over the same time period. 

PKG shares gained 1.9% on Sept. 2 after Packaging Corporation of America announced a $1.50-per-share quarterly dividend. The dividend is payable on Oct. 15, 2026, to shareholders of record as of Sept. 15, providing investors with another boost from the company’s shareholder-return strategy. 

Wall Street analysts are moderately optimistic about PKG’s stock, with a "Moderate Buy" rating overall. Among 12 analysts covering the stock, seven recommend "Strong Buy," and five indicate “Hold." The mean price target for PKG is $262.25, suggesting 14.4% potential upside from current levels.