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 Packaging Corporation of America 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 Packaging Corporation of America compare based on key financial metrics to determine which better meets your investment needs.

About International Paper Company and Packaging Corporation of America

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.

Packaging Corporation of America manufactures and sells containerboard and uncoated freesheet (UFS) paper products in North America. The company operates through Packaging and Paper segments. The Packaging segment offers various linerboard and corrugated packaging products, such as conventional shipping containers used to protect and transport manufactured goods; multi-color boxes and displays that help to merchandise the packaged product in retail locations; and honeycomb protective packaging products, as well as packaging for meat, fresh fruit and vegetables, processed food, beverages, and other industrial and consumer products. This segment sells its corrugated products through a direct sales and marketing organization. The Paper segment manufactures and sells commodity and specialty papers, as well as communication papers, including cut-size office papers, and printing and converting papers; and white papers. This segment sells papers through its sales and marketing organization. Packaging Corporation of America was founded in 1867 and is headquartered in Lake Forest, Illinois.

Latest Containers & Packaging and International Paper Company, Packaging Corporation of America Stock News

As of September 1, 2026, International Paper Company had a $19.3 billion market capitalization, compared to the Containers & Packaging median of $4.3 million. International Paper Company’s stock is down 7.4% in 2026, down 11.9% in the previous five trading days and down 26.61% in the past year.

Currently, International Paper Company does not have a price-earnings ratio. International Paper Company’s trailing 12-month revenue is $24.2 billion with a -14.2% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was -2.2%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $1.344 per share for the current fiscal year. International Paper Company currently has a 5.1% dividend yield.

As of September 1, 2026, Packaging Corporation of America had a $20.3 billion market cap, putting it in the 86th percentile of all stocks. Packaging Corporation of America’s stock is up 13.5% in 2026, down 5.1% in the previous five trading days and up 5.12% in the past year.

Currently, Packaging Corporation of America’s price-earnings ratio is 29.8. Packaging Corporation of America’s trailing 12-month revenue is $9.5 billion with a 7.3% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was 14.7%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $10.499 per share for the current fiscal year. Packaging Corporation of America currently has a 2.6% dividend yield.

How We Compare International Paper Company and Packaging Corporation of America 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 Packaging Corporation of America’s stock grades to see how they measure up against one another.

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International Paper Company and Packaging Corporation of America Stock Value Grades

Company	Ticker	Value
International Paper Company	IP	A
Packaging Corporation of America	PKG	D

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.

AAII’s A+ Investor Value Grade derives from a stock’s value score. The Value Score is the percentile rank of the average of the percentile ranks of the price-to-sales ratio, price-earnings ratio, enterprise-value-to-EBITDA (EV/EBITDA) ratio, shareholder yield, price-to-book-value ratio and price-to-free-cash-flow ratio. The score is variable, meaning it can consider all six ratios or, should any of the six ratios not be valid, the remaining ratios that are valid. To be assigned a Value Score, stocks must have a valid (non-null) ratio and corresponding ranking for at least two of the six valuation ratios.

Stocks with a Value Score from 81 to 100 are considered deep value, those with a score between 61 and 80 are a good value and so on.

International Paper Company has a Value Score of 83, which is Deep Value. Packaging Corporation of America has a Value Score of 33, which is Expensive.

The Value Stock Winner: International Paper Company

As you can clearly see from the Value Grade breakdown above, International Paper Company is considered to have better value than Packaging Corporation of America. For investors who focus solely on a company’s valuation, International Paper Company could be a good stock to add to their portfolio. However, it’s important for investors to analyze multiple factors based on a wide range of metrics before deciding whether to buy.

International Paper Company and Packaging Corporation of America’s Quality Grades

Company	Ticker	Quality
International Paper Company	IP	B
Packaging Corporation of America	PKG	B

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 61, which is Strong. Packaging Corporation of America has a Quality Score of 65, which is Strong.

The Quality Grade Winner: It’s a Tie!

Looking at the Quality Grade breakdown above, both International Paper Company and Packaging Corporation of America have a grade of B. For investors who focus solely on a company’s overall quality, you will need to conduct further research into both companies to see if they are a good fit for your portfolio. As a good rule of thumb, you should always analyze multiple factors based on a wide range of metrics before choosing a company to invest in.

International Paper Company and Packaging Corporation of America’s Estimate Revisions Grades

Company	Ticker	Earnings Estimate
International Paper Company	IP	D
Packaging Corporation of America	PKG	B

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 39, which is Negative. Packaging Corporation of America has a Earnings Estimate Score of 66, which is Positive.

The Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade Winner: Packaging Corporation of America

As you can clearly see from the Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade breakdown above, Packaging Corporation of America has a better Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade than International Paper Company. For those who are specifically looking for companies with better short-term prospects when compared to other companies in the same industry, Packaging Corporation of America could be a good stock to invest in. However, it’s important to analyze multiple factors based on a wide range of metrics before deciding whether to buy.

Other International Paper Company and Packaging Corporation of America Grades

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

Momentum grades help 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.

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.

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 Packaging Corporation of America 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 Packaging Corporation of America Stock?

Overall, International Paper Company stock has a Value Score of 83, Estimate Revisions Score of 39 and Quality Score of 61.

Packaging Corporation of America stock has a Value Score of 33, Estimate Revisions Score of 66 and Quality Score of 65.

Comparing International Paper Company and Packaging Corporation of America’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.