Packaging Corp. (PKG) reported $2.6 billion in revenue for the quarter ended September 2026, representing a year-over-year increase of 12.5%. EPS of $3.04 for the same period compares to $2.73 a year ago.
The reported revenue represents a surprise of +1.46% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.56 billion. With the consensus EPS estimate being $2.95, the EPS surprise was +3.05%.
While investors closely watch year-over-year changes in headline numbers -- revenue and earnings -- and how they compare to Wall Street expectations to determine their next course of action, some key metrics always provide a better insight into a company's underlying performance.
As these metrics influence top- and bottom-line performance, comparing them to the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated helps investors project a stock's price performance more accurately.
Here is how Packaging Corp. performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts: Segment Sales- Packaging: $2.41 billion versus $2.27 billion estimated by three analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +13.4% change. Segment Sales- Corporate and Other: $24.5 million versus $24.93 million estimated by three analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +1.7% change. Segment Sales- Paper: $163.2 million versus $160.15 million estimated by three analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +1.2% change. Segment operating income (loss) excluding special items- Packaging: $407.7 million versus $482.65 million estimated by two analysts on average. Segment operating income (loss) excluding special items- Corporate and Other: $-38.9 million versus $-49.49 million estimated by two analysts on average. Segment operating income (loss) excluding special items- Paper: $29 million compared to the $39.9 million average estimate based on two analysts.View all Key Company Metrics for Packaging Corp. here>>>
Shares of Packaging Corp. have returned +0.3% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +1% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could perform in line with the broader market in the near term.Zacks' Research Chief Names "Stock Most Likely to Double"
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).