Dollar General Corp. vs Packaging Corporation of America — how do they compare? Dollar General Corp. trades at $124.27 (market cap $26.95B), while Packaging Corporation of America trades at $231.22 (market cap $20.25B). The key difference: Dollar General Corp. is the larger of the two by market cap, and Packaging Corporation of America pays the higher dividend (2.64%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals — on Pluang, investors hold Dollar General Corp. for 59 Days and Packaging Corporation of America for 45 Days on average.
| DG | PKG | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $26.95B | $20.25B |
Volume | 1,654,929 | 491,102 |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $156.26 | $257.43 |
52-Week Low | $95.94 | $191.68 |
Typical Hold Time | 59 Days | 45 Days |
Enterprise Value | $41.13B | $24.06B |
Dividend Yield | 1.93% | 2.64% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
DG trades at $122.16, down 0.89% on the day, with a neutral technical signal. The stock shows strong profitability with a 19.69% ROE and has beaten earnings estimates for the last three quarters. Recent news highlights margin benefits from tariff refunds and expansion of delivery services through Instacart. Cash flow from operations improved to $3.0 billion in 2025, supporting financial stability.
The outlook is positive with a consensus price target of $137.27, implying over 12% upside. Risks include competitive pressures and potential consumer spending weakness. Analyst sentiment is bullish with 55.77% buy ratings, but net income margin compression from 7.01% in 2022 to 2.77% in 2025 warrants monitoring.
Packaging Corporation of America (PKG) trades at $227.25, down 1.08% with bearish technical signals despite recent earnings beats. The company maintains solid fundamentals with $9.5B revenue projection for 2026 and 7.25% net margin, though facing margin compression from cost pressures. Recent institutional buying by BlackRock and Bank of New York Mellon contrasts with mixed analyst ratings.
PKG offers steady packaging demand exposure but faces headwinds from rising input costs and competitive pressures. The 19.8% upside to consensus price target of $272.43 presents opportunity, though investors should monitor Q3 2026 earnings results on October 22 for margin trajectory confirmation amid bearish technical indicators.
Trailing returns across standard periods
A leading American discount retailer, Dollar General operates over 18,000 stores in 47 states, selling branded and private-label products across a wide variety of categories. In fiscal 2021, 77% of net sales came from consumables (including paper and cleaning products, packaged and perishable food, tobacco, and health and beauty items), 12% from seasonal merchandise (such as toys, greeting cards, decorations, and gardening supplies), 7% from home products (for example, kitchen supplies, small appliances, and cookware), and 4% from basic apparel. Stores average roughly 7,400 square feet, and about 75% of Dollar General locations are in towns of 20,000 or fewer people. The firm emphasizes value, with most of its items sold at everyday low prices of $5 or less.
Read more on DG →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 →