SON vs PKG

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

7% revenue growth year-over-year, versus 7. 2% for Packaging Corporation of America (PKG). Sonoco Products Company (SON) offers the better valuation at 13. 1x trailing P/E (8. 9x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Sonoco Products Company (SON) a "Buy" — based on 21 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, Sonoco Products Company (SON) is the cheapest at 13.

1x versus Packaging Corporation of America at 26. 4x. On forward P/E, Sonoco Products Company is actually cheaper at 8. 9x. The PEG ratio (P/E divided by earnings growth rate) is the most growth-adjusted single valuation metric: Sonoco Products Company wins at 0. 63x versus Packaging Corporation of America's 1. 82x — a PEG below 1. 0 traditionally signals the market is underpricing earnings growth.

Over the past 5 years, Packaging Corporation of America (PKG) delivered a total return of +63.

7%, compared to -10. 1% for Sonoco Products Company (SON). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: PKG returned +307. 0% versus SON's +50. 2%. 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), Sonoco Products Company (SON) is the lower-risk stock at 0.

53β versus Packaging Corporation of America's 0. 76β — meaning PKG is approximately 42% more volatile than SON relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Packaging Corporation of America (PKG) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 95% versus 134% for Sonoco Products Company — 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 7. 2% for Packaging Corporation of America (PKG). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: Sonoco Products Company grew EPS 141. 2% year-over-year, compared to -3. 9% for Packaging Corporation of America. 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.

Packaging Corporation of America (PKG) is the more profitable company, earning 8.

6% net margin versus 5. 3% for Sonoco Products Company — meaning it keeps 8. 6% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: PKG leads at 14. 0% versus 9. 5% for SON. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — PKG leads at 21. 0%, 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. 63x versus Packaging Corporation of America's 1. 82x. 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. 9x forward P/E versus 22. 0x for Packaging Corporation of America — 13. 1x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for SON: 12. 8% to $59. 00.

All stocks in this comparison pay dividends.

Sonoco Products Company (SON) offers the highest yield at 4. 0%, versus 2. 2% for Packaging Corporation of America (PKG).

For long-horizon retirement investors, Sonoco Products Company (SON) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.

53), 4. 0% yield). Both have compounded well over 10 years (SON: +50. 2%, PKG: +307. 0%), 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: SON is a small-cap high-growth stock; PKG is a mid-cap quality compounder 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.