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Clearwater PaperCLW +2.00%52 Cash Ratio is 0.41 as of Jun. 2026, which is 173% above its 10-year median of 0.15. GuruFocus rates CLW with a GF Score™ of 52/100 and a GF Value™ of $32.30 (Possible Value Trap). The stock has 7 warning signs investors should review. Among 273 Forest Products companies, Clearwater Paper ranks better than 61.9% on this metric.
Clearwater Paper has a Cash Ratio of 0.41. It indicates that there are more current liabilities than Cash, Cash Equivalents, Marketable Securities, and the company does not have sufficient cash on hand to pay off its short-term debt.
The historical rank and industry rank for Clearwater Paper's Cash Ratio or its related term are showing as below:
CLW'
s Cash Ratio Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 0.02 Med: 0.15 Max: 0.42
Current: 0.41
During the past 13 years, Clearwater Paper's highest Cash Ratio was 0.42. The lowest was 0.02. And the median was 0.15.
CLW's Cash Ratio is ranked better than 61.9% of 273
companies
in the Forest Products industry
Industry Median: 0.26
vs CLW: 0.41
Clearwater Paper (NYSE:CLW) Cash Ratio Explanation
The cash ratio is more conservative than other liquidity ratios, such as Quick Ratio and Current Ratio, because it only considers a company's most liquid resources. The numerator of cash ratio only considers Cash, Cash Equivalents and marketable securities. Other current assets, such as accounts receivable and inventories, are not included. The rationale is that these assets may require time to be transformed into cash, and the amount of money received is also uncertain.
The cash ratio shows a company’s ability to pay all current liabilities immediately without selling or liquidating other assets. Generally speaking, a higher cash ratio suggests the company has a stronger ability to cover its short-term debt. However, a high cash ratio could also indicate inefficient management: the company is inefficient in making full utilization of cash to invest protential profitable project. It may also suggest that the company is not confident about future profitability.
In general, the higher the cash ratio, the better the company's liquidity position.
Clearwater Paper Cash Ratio Related Terms
Clearwater Paper Cash Ratio Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Clearwater Paper's Cash Ratio can be seen below:
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
For the Paper & Paper Products subindustry, Clearwater Paper's Cash Ratio, along with its competitors' market caps and Cash Ratio data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
Clearwater Paper Cash Ratio vs Forest Products Industry
For the Forest Products industry and Basic Materials sector, Clearwater Paper's Cash Ratio distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Clearwater Paper's Cash Ratio falls into.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
Clearwater Paper (CLW) has a Cash Ratio of 0.41 as of Jun. 2026. Cashflow ratio is the ratio of Cash, Cash Equivalents, Marketable Securities to current liabilities. View historical data on Clearwater Paper and its competitors. This is 173% above median its historical median of 0.15. Over the past decade, Clearwater Paper's Cash Ratio has ranged from 0.02 to 0.42. According to the industry distribution chart, Clearwater Paper ranks #104 out of 273 companies in the Forest Products industry, placing it in the top 38.1%.
Is Clearwater Paper's Cash Ratio too high?
Clearwater Paper's current Cash Ratio of 0.41 is 173% above median its 10-year median of 0.15. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 0.02 to a high of 0.42. The Forest Products industry median Cash Ratio is 0.26. Clearwater Paper's value of 0.41 is 57.7% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Clearwater Paper ranks #104 out of 273 companies in the Forest Products industry, which is above the industry midpoint. Overall, Clearwater Paper has a GF Score™ of 52/100 and is considered Possible Value Trap, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Clearwater Paper's Cash Ratio compare to MERC and ITP?
According to the Forest Products industry distribution chart, Clearwater Paper ranks #104 out of 273 companies for Cash Ratio. This puts Clearwater Paper in the upper half of its industry. The industry median Cash Ratio is 0.26. Clearwater Paper's value of 0.41 is 57.7% above this benchmark. Historically, Clearwater Paper's own Cash Ratio has ranged from 0.02 to 0.42 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 0.15 vs. the industry median of 0.26, Clearwater Paper has consistently been above the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Cash Ratio for a Forest Products company?
The median Cash Ratio among Forest Products companies is 0.26, based on 273 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Cash Ratio significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Cash Ratio should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Clearwater Paper's current Cash Ratio of 0.41 is 57.7% above the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Cash Ratio mean?
A high Cash Ratio can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Cashflow ratio is the ratio of Cash, Cash Equivalents, Marketable Securities to current liabilities. View historical data on Clearwater Paper and its competitors. For the Forest Products industry, the median Cash Ratio is 0.26 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Clearwater Paper's current Cash Ratio is 0.41, which is 173% above median its own 10-year median of 0.15. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Clearwater Paper stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Clearwater Paper (CLW) is currently considered Possible Value Trap. The stock's GF Value™ is $32.30, compared to a current price of $21.45 — trading 33.6% below its estimated fair value. The current Cash Ratio is 0.41, which is 173% above median its 10-year median of 0.15 and 57.7% above the Forest Products industry median of 0.26. Clearwater Paper's overall GF Score™ is 52/100 with 7 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Cash Ratio calculated?
Cash Ratio is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Clearwater Paper (CLW), the current Cash Ratio is 0.41 as of Jun. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is Clearwater Paper (CLW) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Clearwater Paper stock appears to be undervalued.
The current stock price of $21.45 is trading 33.6% below its estimated GF Value™ of $32.30.
GuruFocus considers Clearwater Paper to be Possible Value Trap.
Key valuation signals for CLW:
Cash Ratio: 0.41 (173% above median its 10-year median of 0.15)
GF Value™: $32.30 vs. price of $21.45 (33.6% below fair value)
Industry Position: 57.7% above the Forest Products median (#104 of 273)
No single metric tells the full story. See the CLW stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Clearwater Paper Corp is engaged in the manufacturing and supplier of Solid Bleached Sulfate (SBS) paperboard packaging products. The company products includes: SBS paperboard which is a premium paperboard grade that is frequently used to produce folding cartons, food service, commercial printing items. It generates maximum revenue from Pulp and Paperboard segment. Company operate in United States and have globalized access too. Geographically, it derives maximum revenue from the United States.
52GF Score
Get the complete analysis for CLW
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