Lamb Weston Holdings Inc vs Packaging Corporation of America — how do they compare? Lamb Weston Holdings Inc trades at $52.79 (market cap $7.12B), while Packaging Corporation of America trades at $257.2 (market cap $22.70B). The key difference: Packaging Corporation of America is far larger — about 3.2× Lamb Weston Holdings Inc's market cap, and Lamb Weston Holdings Inc pays the higher dividend (2.93%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| LW | PKG | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $7.12B | $22.70B |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Technology |
52-Week High | $66.57 | $256.04 |
52-Week Low | $38.48 | $191.68 |
Enterprise Value | $11.00B | $26.51B |
Dividend Yield | 2.93% | 2.36% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Lamb Weston (LW) trades at $52.27, up 0.42% today, with a bullish technical outlook and consistent earnings beats. The stock shows strong profitability with a 16.28% ROE and trades at a P/E of 25.13. Recent Q2 2026 results exceeded expectations with EPS of $0.87 versus $0.626 estimated. The company maintains a solid dividend yield with a recent $0.38 per share payout announced.
The outlook is positive given operational improvements and cost savings, though international headwinds and margin pressures pose risks. Analyst consensus is a 'Hold' with a $53.86 price target, indicating modest upside. Investors should weigh strong North American growth against geopolitical and cost challenges impacting international segments.
Packaging Corporation of America (PKG) trades at $256.04, up 1.3% on the day, with a bullish technical trend supported by moving averages and strong support at $252. The company reported Q2 2026 EPS of $2.35, beating estimates, driven by record corrugated shipments and contributions from the Greif acquisition, though net income margins face pressure from rising costs. A $1.50 dividend for H1-2026 reflects management's confidence, with a consensus price target of $269.33 suggesting modest upside.
Outlook: PKG benefits from robust demand and strategic acquisitions, but cost headwinds and a high P/E of 33.08 pose valuation risks. Analyst sentiment is mixed with 34.6% buy ratings, indicating cautious optimism amid margin compression and economic uncertainties. Key risks include freight and input cost inflation, competitive pricing pressure, and execution of integration synergies.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Lamb Weston is the world's second-largest producer of branded and private-label frozen potato products, such as French fries, sweet potato fries, tater tots, diced potatoes, mashed potatoes, hash browns, and chips. The company also has a small appetizer business that produces onion rings, mozzarella sticks, and cheese curds. Including joint ventures, 63% of fiscal 2022 revenue was U.S.-based, with the remainder stemming from Europe, Canada, Japan, China, Korea, Mexico, and several other countries. Lamb Weston's customer mix is estimated 58% quick-serve restaurants, 19% full-service restaurants, 8% other food services (hotels, commercial cafeterias, arenas, schools), and 16% retail. Lamb Weston became an independent company in 2016 when it was spun off from Conagra.
Read more on LW →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 →