CCK vs SEE vs SLGN vs SON vs GPK

For growth investors, Sonoco Products Company (SON) is the stronger pick with 41.

7% revenue growth year-over-year, versus -2. 2% for Graphic Packaging Holding Company (GPK). Graphic Packaging Holding Company (GPK) offers the better valuation at 7. 5x trailing P/E (13. 0x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Crown Holdings, Inc. (CCK) a "Buy" — based on 25 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, Graphic Packaging Holding Company (GPK) is the cheapest at 7.

5x versus Crown Holdings, Inc. at 15. 8x. On forward P/E, Sonoco Products Company is actually cheaper at 8. 8x — notably different from the trailing picture, reflecting expected earnings growth. The PEG ratio (P/E divided by earnings growth rate) is the most growth-adjusted single valuation metric: Sonoco Products Company wins at 0. 62x versus Sealed Air Corporation's 9. 73x — a PEG below 1. 0 traditionally signals the market is underpricing earnings growth.

Over the past 5 years, Silgan Holdings Inc.

(SLGN) delivered a total return of +1. 4%, compared to -33. 2% for Graphic Packaging Holding Company (GPK). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: CCK returned +98. 0% versus SEE's +4. 4%. 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), Sealed Air Corporation (SEE) is the lower-risk stock at 0.

32β versus Graphic Packaging Holding Company's 0. 88β — meaning GPK is approximately 171% more volatile than SEE relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Sonoco Products Company (SON) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 134% versus 3% for Sealed Air Corporation — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.

By revenue growth (latest reported year), Sonoco Products Company (SON) is pulling ahead at 41.

7% versus -2. 2% for Graphic Packaging Holding Company (GPK). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: Sonoco Products Company grew EPS 141. 2% year-over-year, compared to -31. 5% for Graphic Packaging Holding Company. Over a 3-year CAGR, SON leads at 8. 7% 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.

Sealed Air Corporation (SEE) is the more profitable company, earning 9.

4% net margin versus 4. 4% for Silgan Holdings Inc. — meaning it keeps 9. 4% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: SEE leads at 13. 5% versus 9. 5% for SON. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — SEE leads at 29. 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.

The PEG ratio (forward P/E divided by expected earnings growth rate) is the most precise measure of undervaluation relative to growth potential.

By this metric, Sonoco Products Company (SON) is the more undervalued stock at a PEG of 0. 62x versus Sealed Air Corporation's 9. 73x. A PEG below 1. 0 is traditionally considered the threshold for growth-adjusted undervaluation. On forward earnings alone, Sonoco Products Company (SON) trades at 8. 8x forward P/E versus 13. 0x for Graphic Packaging Holding Company — 4. 1x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for SLGN: 25. 4% to $50. 50.

All stocks in this comparison pay dividends.

Sonoco Products Company (SON) offers the highest yield at 4. 0%, versus 1. 0% for Crown Holdings, Inc. (CCK).

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

32), 1. 9% yield). Both have compounded well over 10 years (SEE: +4. 4%, GPK: +12. 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.

Both stocks operate in the Consumer Cyclical sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both.

In terms of investment character: CCK is a mid-cap deep-value stock; SEE is a small-cap deep-value stock; SLGN is a small-cap deep-value stock; SON is a small-cap high-growth stock; GPK 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.