Price movement over the last 24 hours
AES Corp vs Packaging Corporation of America — how do they compare? AES Corp trades at $14.66 (market cap $10.43B), while Packaging Corporation of America trades at $224.44 (market cap $20.71B). The key difference: Packaging Corporation of America is the larger of the two by market cap, and AES Corp pays the higher dividend (4.81%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| AES | PKG | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $10.43B | $20.71B |
Sector | Utilities | Technology |
52-Week High | $17.28 | $246.31 |
52-Week Low | $11.07 | $191.41 |
Enterprise Value | $39.77B | $24.53B |
Dividend Yield | 4.81% | 2.58% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
AES trades at $14.62, up 0.27% on the day, with strong fundamentals including a P/E of 7.59 and net income margin of 10.82%. Recent quarters show consistent earnings beats, while technical indicators signal bearish momentum. The company's pending $33.4 billion acquisition by a BlackRock/EQT consortium, approved by stockholders on June 26, 2026, caps near-term upside at $15 per share but provides a stable exit pathway.
The investment case hinges on the acquisition closing, offering a 2.6% gain to the $15 buyout price plus dividend yield. Risks include deal completion uncertainty and shareholder litigation. With no sell-side analysts recommending sell, the stock presents a low-risk arbitrage opportunity with defined upside and limited downside if the transaction proceeds as planned.
Packaging Corporation of America (PKG) trades at $236.39, down 0.76% on the day, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages and neutral oscillators. The company reported a Q1 2026 EPS beat of $2.40 versus $2.14 expected, with revenue growth to $2.4 billion. Recent news highlights a 20% dividend increase to an annual $6.00 per share and upcoming Q2 2026 earnings call on July 23, 2026.
PKG presents a mixed outlook with strong profitability metrics like a 16.21% ROE and 8.04% net margin, but faces margin pressure and two recent earnings misses. The consensus price target of $245 suggests modest upside, though risks include input cost inflation and competitive pressures. Institutional sentiment is cautiously optimistic with 38% buy ratings.
Trailing returns across standard periods
AES is a global power company operating across 14 countries and 4 continents. Its current generation portfolio as of year-end 2021 consists of over 31 gigawatts of generation, with the generation mix composed of renewables (43%), gas (32%), coal (23%), and oil (2%). The company has 3.5 gigawatts of generation under construction. AES has majority ownership and operates six electric utilities distributing power to 2.6 million customers.
Read more on AES →Packaging Corporation of America is a leading producer of containerboard and corrugated packaging products in North America. The company also produces white papers, which include printing and writing papers. PKG operates as an integrated manufacturer, with a strong focus on high-quality and sustainable packaging solutions for e-commerce, food and beverage, and other industrial and consumer markets.
Read more on PKG →