Packaging Corporation of America Q3 2026 Profit Jumps as Revenue Climbs to 2.6 Billion

Packaging Corporation of America reported third quarter 2026 net income of $262 million, or $2.93 per diluted share, up sharply from the year-ago period. Excluding special items, adjusted earnings came in at $272 million, or $3.04 per share, beating analyst consensus estimates by $0.12 per share.

Net sales reached $2.6 billion in the quarter, compared with $2.3 billion in the third quarter of 2025, a gain of roughly 13% year over year. Revenue came in slightly below analyst estimates despite the earnings beat. The combination of higher profit on marginally softer-than-expected revenue suggests the company benefited from improved pricing, product mix, or cost controls during the period.

The results mark the strongest quarterly profit of 2026 for PKG, following net income of $171 million in Q1 and $192 million in Q2. Packaging Corporation of America trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker PKG and is headquartered in Lake Forest, Illinois.