Sifting through countless of stocks in the Containers & Packaging industry can be tedious, and sometimes two stocks are just too similar to judge which is the better investment. If you’re on the fence about investing in International Paper Company or Smurfit Westrock Plc because you’re not sure how they measure up, it’s important to compare them on a few factors before making your decision.

Read on to learn how International Paper Company and Smurfit Westrock Plc compare based on key financial metrics to determine which better meets your investment needs.

About International Paper Company and Smurfit Westrock Plc

International Paper Company produces and sells renewable fiber-based packaging in North America, Latin America, Europe, South America, and North Africa. It operates through two segments, Packaging Solutions North America and Packaging Solutions EMEA. The company offers linerboard, medium, whitetop, and saturating kraft; and converts containerboard into corrugated boxes, bulk bins, shipping containers and specialty packaging through its converting facilities. Its products support customers in various industries, such as food and beverage, agriculture, industrial manufacturing, personal care pharmaceuticals and consumer goods. The company was founded in 1898 and is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee.

Smurfit Westrock Plc, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures, distributes, and sells containerboard, corrugated containers, and other paper-based packaging products in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and internationally. The company produces containerboard and paperboard; packaging of corrugated containers; consumer packaging; and offers solid board, kraft paper, and graphic board, as well as other packaging products, such as solidboard packaging, paper sacks and bag-in-box. It produces linerboard and corrugated medium and paperboard; and other paper-based packaging, such as folding cartons, inserts, labels and displays. The company primarily serves food and beverage, healthcare, beauty and personal care, garden, consumer goods, industrial, and foodservice markets. It markets its products through its own sales force, independent sales representatives, and independent distributors. Smurfit Westrock Plc was founded in 1934 and is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland.

Latest Containers & Packaging and International Paper Company, Smurfit Westrock Plc Stock News

As of May 13, 2026, International Paper Company had a $16.9 billion market capitalization, compared to the Containers & Packaging median of $3.8 million. International Paper Company’s stock is down 18.8% in 2026, down 4.6% in the previous five trading days and down 33.25% in the past year.

Currently, International Paper Company does not have a price-earnings ratio. International Paper Company’s trailing 12-month revenue is $24.3 billion with a -13.8% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was 13.4%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $1.383 per share for the current fiscal year. International Paper Company currently has a 5.8% dividend yield.

As of May 13, 2026, Smurfit Westrock Plc had a $21.2 billion market cap, putting it in the 86th percentile of all stocks. Smurfit Westrock Plc’s stock is up 4.6% in 2026, down 3.5% in the previous five trading days and down 10.13% in the past year.

Currently, Smurfit Westrock Plc’s price-earnings ratio is 56.2. Smurfit Westrock Plc’s trailing 12-month revenue is $31.2 billion with a 1.2% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was 0.7%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $2.294 per share for the current fiscal year. Smurfit Westrock Plc currently has a 4.5% dividend yield.

How We Compare International Paper Company and Smurfit Westrock Plc Stock Grades

Stock evaluation requires access to huge amounts of data and the knowledge and time to sift through it all, make sense of financial ratios, read income statements and analyze recent stock movements. AAII created A+ Investor, a robust data suite that condenses data research in an actionable and customizable way suitable for investors of all knowledge levels, to help investors streamline and work through such data.

AAII’s proprietary stock grades come with A+ Investor. These offer intuitive A‐F grades for each of five key investing factors: value, growth, momentum, earnings estimate revisions and quality. Here, we’ll take a closer look at International Paper Company and Smurfit Westrock Plc’s stock grades to see how they measure up against one another.

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International Paper Company and Smurfit Westrock Plc’s Quality Grades

Company	Ticker	Quality
International Paper Company	IP	C
Smurfit Westrock Plc	SW	C

Like the Value Grade, AAII’s A+ Investor Quality Grade comes from the percentile rank of key metrics. Specifically, the Quality Score is the percentile rank of the average of the percentile ranks of return on assets (ROA), return on invested capital (ROIC), gross profit relative to assets, buyback yield, change in total liabilities to assets, accruals, Z double prime bankruptcy risk (Z) score and the F-Score.

The score is variable, meaning it can consider all eight measures or, should any of the eight measures not be valid, the remaining measures that are valid. To be assigned a Quality Score, stocks must have a valid (non-null) measure and corresponding ranking for at least four of the eight quality measures.

The Quality Score is used to assess the underlying “quality” of a particular stock. A higher-quality stock possesses traits associated with upside potential and reduced downside risk. Backtesting of the Quality Grade shows that stocks with higher grades, on average, outperformed stocks with lower grades over the period of 1998 through 2019.

Stocks receive better grades (higher scores) for having higher scores for the quality subcomponents and worse grades (lower scores) for lower scores for the subcomponents.

International Paper Company has a Quality Score of 43, which is Average. Smurfit Westrock Plc has a Quality Score of 48, which is Average.

The Quality Stock Winner: No Clear Winner

Neither International Paper Company or Smurfit Westrock Plc has a high enough Quality Grade to be considered a “winner.” Investors who are considering these companies should do additional due diligence and research to see if either could be a good addition to their portfolios. It’s important to look at a wide range of financial metrics in order to determine if International Paper Company or Smurfit Westrock Plc is the better investment when it comes to quality.

International Paper Company and Smurfit Westrock Plc’s Momentum Grades

Company	Ticker	Momentum
International Paper Company	IP	F
Smurfit Westrock Plc	SW	D

Momentum grades help to uncover stocks experiencing anomalously high rates of return; research finds that stocks with high relative levels of momentum tend to outperform, whereas those with low levels of momentum tend to continue underperforming. Momentum is based on the price change of a stock over a specified period relative to all other stocks.

Typically, AAII looks at the weighted relative strength over the trailing four quarters. The weighted four-quarter relative strength rank is the relative price change for each of the past four quarters. The most recent quarterly price change is given a weight of 40% and each of the three previous quarters are given a weighting of 20%.

International Paper Company has a Momentum Score of 15, which is Very Weak. Smurfit Westrock Plc has a Momentum Score of 30, which is Weak.

The Momentum Stock Winner: No Clear Winner

Neither International Paper Company or Smurfit Westrock Plc has a strong enough Momentum Grade to be considered a “winner.” Investors considering these companies should do additional due diligence and research to see if either could be a good addition to their portfolios. It’s important to look at a wide range of financial metrics in order to determine if International Paper Company or Smurfit Westrock Plc is the better investment when it comes to momentum.

International Paper Company and Smurfit Westrock Plc’s Estimate Revisions Grades

Company	Ticker	Earnings Estimate
International Paper Company	IP	F
Smurfit Westrock Plc	SW	F

Earnings estimate revisions scores consider the magnitude of a company’s earnings surprise in its last two reported fiscal quarters. Often, positive surprises beget further positive surprises‐or at least continued sales growth (the exact opposite is generally true, too).

Estimate revisions offer an indication of what analysts are thinking about the short-term prospects of a firm. Estimate revisions are based on the statistical significance of a firm’s last two quarterly earnings surprises and the percentage change in its consensus estimate for the current fiscal year over the past month and past three months.

International Paper Company has a Earnings Estimate Score of 16, which is Very Negative. Smurfit Westrock Plc has a Earnings Estimate Score of 14, which is Very Negative.

The Earnings Estimate Revisions Stock Winner: No Clear Winner

Neither International Paper Company or Smurfit Westrock Plc has an Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade that could be considered a “winner.” Investors considering these companies should do additional due diligence and research to see if either could be a good addition to their portfolios. It’s important to look at a wide range of financial metrics in order to determine if International Paper Company or Smurfit Westrock Plc is the better investment when it comes to estimate revisions.

Other International Paper Company and Smurfit Westrock Plc Grades

In addition to Momentum, Estimate Revisions and Quality, A+ Investor also provides grades for Value and Growth.

Growth investing builds on the idea that stocks of companies exhibiting strong, consistent and prolonged growth outperform those of slower-growth companies. AAII measures growth through consistency of annual sales growth, five-year sales growth rankings adjusted for extreme levels, and consistency of positive annual cash from operations.

Successful stock investing involves buying low and selling high, so stock valuation is an important consideration for stock selection. Buying stocks that are going to go up typically means buying stocks that are undervalued in the first place, although momentum investors may argue that point.

These 2 key factors, when combined with the above, provide a holistic view into a particular stock. Further, by joining A+ Investor you can see whether International Paper Company and Smurfit Westrock Plc pass any of our 60+ stock screens that have outperformed the market since their creation.

So, Which Is the Better Investment, International Paper Company or Smurfit Westrock Plc Stock?

Overall, International Paper Company stock has a Momentum Score of 15, Estimate Revisions Score of 16 and Quality Score of 43.

Smurfit Westrock Plc stock has a Momentum Score of 30, Estimate Revisions Score of 14 and Quality Score of 48.

Comparing International Paper Company and Smurfit Westrock Plc’s grades, scores and metrics can act as a solid basis to determine whether they may be a good investment or not. You’ll also want to look at your portfolio’s asset allocation as well as your risk tolerance and financial goals to see if either of these stocks would make a good fit for you. AAII can help you figure out which investments align with your individual needs and preferences.

Investors are encouraged to do their own due diligence and research. In this way, individuals can effectively become managers of their own assets‐without having to rely on others for financial independence. You can count on AAII for timeless articles on financial planning and stock-picking, unbiased research and actionable analysis.

A+ Investor adds to our qualitative teaching with a powerful data suite to help you whittle down investment choices to find stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or mutual funds that meet your needs.

AAII Disclaimer

We make no representations or warranties that any investor will, or is likely to, achieve profits similar to those shown, because past, hypothetical or simulated performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. Before making an investment decision, you should consider your circumstances and whether the information on our content is applicable to your situation. This information was prepared in good faith, and we accept no liability for any errors or omissions. The full disclaimer can be read here.