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Packaging of AmericaSTU:PKA +8.61%88 Debt-to-EBITDA is 4.33 as of Mar. 2026, which is 121% above its 10-year median of 1.96. GuruFocus rates STU:PKA with a GF Score™ of 88/100 and a GF Value™ of €194.91 (Modestly Overvalued). The stock has 8 warning signs investors should review. Among 333 Packaging & Containers companies, Packaging of America ranks worse than 58.26% on this metric.
Debt-to-EBITDA measures a company's ability to pay off its debt.
A high Debt-to-EBITDA ratio generally means that a company may spend more time to paying off its debt. According to Joel Tillinghast's BIG MONEY THINKS SMALL: Biases, Blind Spots, and Smarter Investing, a ratio of Debt-to-EBITDA exceeding four is usually considered scary unless tangible assets cover the debt.
The historical rank and industry rank for Packaging of America's Debt-to-EBITDA or its related term are showing as below:
STU:PKA'
s Debt-to-EBITDA Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 1.48 Med: 1.96 Max: 3.09
Current: 3.09
During the past 13 years, the highest Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio of Packaging of America was 3.09. The lowest was 1.48. And the median was 1.96.
STU:PKA's Debt-to-EBITDA is ranked worse than 58.26% of 333
companies
in the Packaging & Containers industry
Industry Median: 2.58
vs STU:PKA: 3.09
Packaging of America (STU:PKA) Debt-to-EBITDA Explanation
A high Debt-to-EBITDA ratio generally means that a company may spend more time to paying off its debt.
According to Joel Tillinghast's BIG MONEY THINKS SMALL: Biases, Blind Spots, and Smarter Investing, a ratio of Debt-to-EBITDA exceeding four is usually considered scary unless tangible assets cover the debt.
Packaging of America Debt-to-EBITDA Related Terms
Packaging of America Debt-to-EBITDA Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Packaging of America's Debt-to-EBITDA 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.
STU:PKA vs IP, AMCR, SW: Debt-to-EBITDA Comparison
For the Packaging & Containers subindustry, Packaging of America's Debt-to-EBITDA, along with its competitors' market caps and Debt-to-EBITDA 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.
Packaging of America Debt-to-EBITDA vs Packaging & Containers Industry
For the Packaging & Containers industry and Consumer Cyclical sector, Packaging of America's Debt-to-EBITDA distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Packaging of America's Debt-to-EBITDA 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.
In the calculation of annual Debt-to-EBITDA, the EBITDA of the last fiscal year is used. In calculating the annualized quarterly data,
the EBITDA data used here is four times the quarterly (Mar. 2026) EBITDA data.
Packaging of America (STU:PKA) has a Debt-to-EBITDA of 4.33 as of Mar. 2026. Debt-to-EBITDA ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. View historical data on Packaging of America. This is 121% above median its historical median of 1.96. Over the past decade, Packaging of America's Debt-to-EBITDA has ranged from 1.48 to 3.09. According to the industry distribution chart, Packaging of America ranks #194 out of 333 companies in the Packaging & Containers industry, placing it in the top 58.3%.
Is Packaging of America's Debt-to-EBITDA too high?
Packaging of America's current Debt-to-EBITDA of 4.33 is 121% above median its 10-year median of 1.96. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 1.48 to a high of 3.09. The Packaging & Containers industry median Debt-to-EBITDA is 2.58. Packaging of America's value of 4.33 is 67.8% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Packaging of America ranks #194 out of 333 companies in the Packaging & Containers industry, which is below the industry midpoint. Overall, Packaging of America has a GF Score™ of 88/100 and is considered Modestly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Packaging of America's Debt-to-EBITDA compare to IP and AMCR?
According to the Packaging & Containers industry distribution chart, Packaging of America ranks #194 out of 333 companies for Debt-to-EBITDA. This places Packaging of America in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Debt-to-EBITDA is 2.58. Packaging of America's value of 4.33 is 67.8% above this benchmark. Historically, Packaging of America's own Debt-to-EBITDA has ranged from 1.48 to 3.09 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 1.96 vs. the industry median of 2.58, Packaging of America 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 Debt-to-EBITDA for a Packaging & Containers company?
The median Debt-to-EBITDA among Packaging & Containers companies is 2.58, based on 333 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Debt-to-EBITDA significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Debt-to-EBITDA should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Packaging of America's current Debt-to-EBITDA of 4.33 is 67.8% 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 Debt-to-EBITDA mean?
A high Debt-to-EBITDA can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Debt-to-EBITDA ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. View historical data on Packaging of America. For the Packaging & Containers industry, the median Debt-to-EBITDA is 2.58 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Packaging of America's current Debt-to-EBITDA is 4.33, which is 121% above median its own 10-year median of 1.96. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Packaging of America stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Packaging of America (STU:PKA) is currently considered Modestly Overvalued. The stock's GF Value™ is €194.91, compared to a current price of €222.00 — trading 13.9% above its estimated fair value. The current Debt-to-EBITDA is 4.33, which is 121% above median its 10-year median of 1.96 and 67.8% above the Packaging & Containers industry median of 2.58. Packaging of America's overall GF Score™ is 88/100 with 8 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Debt-to-EBITDA calculated?
Debt-to-EBITDA is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Packaging of America (STU:PKA), the current Debt-to-EBITDA is 4.33 as of Mar. 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 Packaging of America (STU:PKA) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Packaging of America stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of €222.00 is trading 13.9% above its estimated GF Value™ of €194.91.
GuruFocus considers Packaging of America to be Modestly Overvalued.
Key valuation signals for STU:PKA:
Debt-to-EBITDA: 4.33 (121% above median its 10-year median of 1.96)
GF Value™: €194.91 vs. price of €222.00 (13.9% above fair value)
Industry Position: 67.8% above the Packaging & Containers median (#194 of 333)
No single metric tells the full story. See the STU:PKA stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Packaging Corp. of America is the third-largest containerboard and corrugated packaging manufacturer in the United States. It produces over 5 million tons of containerboard annually. The company's share of the domestic containerboard market is roughly 10%. PCA differentiates itself from larger competitors by focusing on smaller customers and operating with a high degree of flexibility.
88GF Score
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