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Clearwater Paper (FRA:5WC) Forward PE Ratio Explanation
The Forward PE Ratio of a company is often used to compare current earnings to estimated future earnings, as well as gaining a clearer picture of what earnings will look like without charges and other accounting adjustments. If earnings are expected to grow in the future, the Forward PE Ratio will be lower than the current PE Ratio. This measure is also used to compare one company to another with a forward-looking focus.
Trailing PE Ratio relies on what is already done. It uses the current share price and divides by the total EPS (Basic) over the past 12 months. PE Ratio can be affected by Non Operating Income such as the sale of part of businesses. This may increase for the current year or quarter dramatically. But it cannot be repeated over and over. Therefore PE Ratio without NRI is a more accurate indication of valuation than PE Ratio .
Clearwater Paper Forward PE Ratio Related Terms
Clearwater Paper Forward PE Ratio Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Clearwater Paper's Forward PE 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.
Clearwater Paper Forward PE Ratio Chart
Clearwater Paper Annual Data
Trend
2024-12
2025-12
Forward PE Ratio
25.79
405.71
Clearwater Paper Quarterly Data
2024-06
2024-09
2024-12
2025-03
2025-06
2025-09
2025-12
Forward PE Ratio
15.06
21.32
25.79
19.81
21.97
10.96
405.71
FRA:5WC vs MERC, ITP: Forward PE Ratio Comparison
For the Paper & Paper Products subindustry, Clearwater Paper's Forward PE Ratio, along with its competitors' market caps and Forward PE 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 Forward PE Ratio vs Forest Products Industry
For the Forest Products industry and Basic Materials sector, Clearwater Paper's Forward PE Ratio distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Clearwater Paper's Forward PE Ratio falls into.
It's a measure of the price-to-earnings ratio (PE Ratio) using forecasted earnings for the calculation. While the earnings used are just an estimate and are not as reliable as current earnings data, there is still benefit in estimated P/E analysis. The forecasted earnings used in the formula can either be for the next 12 months or for the next full-year fiscal period.
Clearwater Paper (FRA:5WC) has a Forward PE Ratio of 467.65 as of Aug. 01, 2026. Forward P/E ratio is the share price dividend by the expected per-share earnings in the next 12 months. View historical data on Clearwater Paper and its competitors. According to the industry distribution chart, Clearwater Paper ranks #83 out of 84 companies in the Forest Products industry, placing it in the top 98.8%.
Is Clearwater Paper's Forward PE Ratio too high?
Clearwater Paper's current Forward PE Ratio is 467.65. The Forest Products industry median Forward PE Ratio is 15.50. Clearwater Paper's value of 467.65 is 2917.1% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Clearwater Paper ranks #83 out of 84 companies in the Forest Products industry, which is in the bottom quartile relative to peers. Overall, Clearwater Paper has a GF Score™ of 44/100 and is considered Possible Value Trap, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Clearwater Paper's Forward PE Ratio compare to MERC and ITP?
According to the Forest Products industry distribution chart, Clearwater Paper ranks #83 out of 84 companies for Forward PE Ratio. This places Clearwater Paper in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Forward PE Ratio is 15.50. Clearwater Paper's value of 467.65 is 2917.1% above this benchmark. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Forward PE Ratio for a Forest Products company?
The median Forward PE Ratio among Forest Products companies is 15.50, based on 84 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Forward PE Ratio significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Forward PE Ratio should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Clearwater Paper's current Forward PE Ratio of 467.65 is 2917.1% 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 Forward PE Ratio mean?
A high Forward PE Ratio can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Forward P/E ratio is the share price dividend by the expected per-share earnings in the next 12 months. View historical data on Clearwater Paper and its competitors. For the Forest Products industry, the median Forward PE Ratio is 15.50 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Clearwater Paper's current Forward PE Ratio is 467.65. 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 (FRA:5WC) is currently considered Possible Value Trap. The stock's GF Value™ is €27.65, compared to a current price of €18.00 — trading 34.9% below its estimated fair value. The current Forward PE Ratio is 467.65 and 2917.1% above the Forest Products industry median of 15.50. Clearwater Paper's overall GF Score™ is 44/100 with 7 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Forward PE Ratio calculated?
Forward PE Ratio is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Clearwater Paper (FRA:5WC), the current Forward PE Ratio is 467.65 as of Aug. 01, 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 (FRA:5WC) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Clearwater Paper stock appears to be undervalued.
The current stock price of €18.00 is trading 34.9% below its estimated GF Value™ of €27.65.
GuruFocus considers Clearwater Paper to be Possible Value Trap.
Key valuation signals for FRA:5WC:
Forward PE Ratio: 467.65
GF Value™: €27.65 vs. price of €18.00 (34.9% below fair value)
Industry Position: 2917.1% above the Forest Products median (#83 of 84)
No single metric tells the full story. See the FRA:5WC 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.
44GF Score
Get the complete analysis for FRA:5WC
Forward PE Ratio is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.
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