AVY vs SLGN

For growth investors, Silgan Holdings Inc.

(SLGN) is the stronger pick with 10. 7% revenue growth year-over-year, versus 1. 1% for Avery Dennison Corporation (AVY). Silgan Holdings Inc. (SLGN) offers the better valuation at 14. 9x trailing P/E (10. 6x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Avery Dennison Corporation (AVY) a "Buy" — based on 18 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.

On trailing P/E, Silgan Holdings Inc.

(SLGN) is the cheapest at 14. 9x versus Avery Dennison Corporation at 18. 8x. On forward P/E, Silgan Holdings Inc. is actually cheaper at 10. 6x.

Over the past 5 years, Silgan Holdings Inc.

(SLGN) delivered a total return of +1. 4%, compared to -17. 9% for Avery Dennison Corporation (AVY). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: AVY returned +155. 3% versus SLGN's +80. 8%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.

By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Silgan Holdings Inc.

(SLGN) is the lower-risk stock at 0. 66β versus Avery Dennison Corporation's 0. 72β — meaning AVY is approximately 8% more volatile than SLGN relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Avery Dennison Corporation (AVY) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 166% versus 2% for Silgan Holdings Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.

By revenue growth (latest reported year), Silgan Holdings Inc.

(SLGN) is pulling ahead at 10. 7% versus 1. 1% for Avery Dennison Corporation (AVY). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: Silgan Holdings Inc. grew EPS 4. 7% year-over-year, compared to 0. 6% for Avery Dennison Corporation. Over a 3-year CAGR, SLGN leads at 0. 4% annualised revenue growth. Higher growth typically commands a higher valuation multiple — check whether the premium P/E or P/S is justified by the growth rate using the PEG ratio.

Avery Dennison Corporation (AVY) is the more profitable company, earning 7.

8% net margin versus 4. 4% for Silgan Holdings Inc. — meaning it keeps 7. 8% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: AVY leads at 12. 5% versus 10. 2% for SLGN. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — AVY leads at 28. 8%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.

On forward earnings alone, Silgan Holdings Inc.

(SLGN) trades at 10. 6x forward P/E versus 16. 5x for Avery Dennison Corporation — 5. 9x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for AVY: 29. 8% to $214. 75.

All stocks in this comparison pay dividends.

Avery Dennison Corporation (AVY) offers the highest yield at 2. 3%, versus 2. 0% for Silgan Holdings Inc. (SLGN).

For long-horizon retirement investors, Avery Dennison Corporation (AVY) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.

72), 2. 3% yield, +155. 3% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (AVY: +155. 3%, SLGN: +80. 8%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.

These companies operate in different sectors (AVY (Industrials) and SLGN (Consumer Cyclical)), which means they face different economic cycles, regulatory environments, and macro sensitivities — making direct comparison nuanced.

In terms of investment character: AVY is a mid-cap quality compounder stock; SLGN is a small-cap deep-value stock. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.