Graphic Packaging Holding CoGPK +1.62%64 Gross Margin % is 14.19% as of Mar. 2026, which is 22% below its 10-year median of 18.16. GuruFocus rates GPK with a GF Score™ of 64/100 and a GF Value™ of $23.07 (Possible Value Trap). The stock has 5 warning signs investors should review. Among 383 Packaging & Containers companies, Graphic Packaging Holding Co ranks worse than 66.84% on this metric.
Graphic Packaging Holding Co (NYSE:GPK) Gross Margin % Explanation
Warren Buffett believes that firms with excellent long term economics tend to have consistently higher margins.
Durable competitive advantage creates a high Gross Margin % because of the freedom to price in excess of cost. Companies can be categorized by their Gross Margin %
1. Greater than 40% = Durable competitive advantage
2. Less than 40% = Competition eroding margins
3. Less than 20% = no sustainable competitive advantage
Consistency of Gross Margin is key
Graphic Packaging Holding Co had a gross margin of 14.19% for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 => No sustainable competitive advantage
Be Aware
If a company loses its competitive advantages, usually its gross margin declines well before its sales declines. Watching Gross Margin % and Operating Margin % closely helps avoid value trap situations.
Graphic Packaging Holding Co Gross Margin % Related Terms
Graphic Packaging Holding Co Gross Margin % Historical Data
* 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 Packaging & Containers subindustry, Graphic Packaging Holding Co's Gross Margin %, along with its competitors' market caps and Gross Margin % 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.
Graphic Packaging Holding Co Gross Margin % vs Packaging & Containers Industry
For the Packaging & Containers industry and Consumer Cyclical sector, Graphic Packaging Holding Co's Gross Margin % distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Graphic Packaging Holding Co's Gross Margin % 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.
A positive Gross Profit is only the first step for a company to make a net profit. The gross profit needs to be big enough to also cover related labor, equipment, rental, marketing/advertising, research and development and a lot of other costs in selling the products.
Graphic Packaging Holding Co (GPK) has a Gross Margin % of 14.19% as of Mar. 2026. Gross margin is the ratio of total gross profit to net sales. View historical data on Graphic Packaging Holding Co and its competitors. This is 22% below median its historical median of 18.16. Over the past decade, Graphic Packaging Holding Co's Gross Margin % has ranged from 14.97 to 22.45. According to the industry distribution chart, Graphic Packaging Holding Co ranks #256 out of 383 companies in the Packaging & Containers industry, placing it in the top 66.8%.
Is Graphic Packaging Holding Co's Gross Margin % too high?
Graphic Packaging Holding Co's current Gross Margin % of 14.19% is 22% below median its 10-year median of 18.16. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 14.97 to a high of 22.45. The Packaging & Containers industry median Gross Margin % is 21.27. Graphic Packaging Holding Co's value of 14.19% is 33.3% below this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Graphic Packaging Holding Co ranks #256 out of 383 companies in the Packaging & Containers industry, which is below the industry midpoint. Overall, Graphic Packaging Holding Co has a GF Score™ of 64/100 and is considered Possible Value Trap, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Graphic Packaging Holding Co's Gross Margin % compare to GEF and SLGN?
According to the Packaging & Containers industry distribution chart, Graphic Packaging Holding Co ranks #256 out of 383 companies for Gross Margin %. This places Graphic Packaging Holding Co in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Gross Margin % is 21.27. Graphic Packaging Holding Co's value of 14.19% is 33.3% below this benchmark. Historically, Graphic Packaging Holding Co's own Gross Margin % has ranged from 14.97 to 22.45 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 18.16 vs. the industry median of 21.27, Graphic Packaging Holding Co has consistently been below 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 Gross Margin % for a Packaging & Containers company?
The median Gross Margin % among Packaging & Containers companies is 21.27, based on 383 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Gross Margin % significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Gross Margin % should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Graphic Packaging Holding Co's current Gross Margin % of 14.19% is 33.3% below 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 Gross Margin % mean?
A high Gross Margin % can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Gross margin is the ratio of total gross profit to net sales. View historical data on Graphic Packaging Holding Co and its competitors. For the Packaging & Containers industry, the median Gross Margin % is 21.27 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Graphic Packaging Holding Co's current Gross Margin % is 14.19%, which is 22% below median its own 10-year median of 18.16. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Graphic Packaging Holding Co stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Graphic Packaging Holding Co (GPK) is currently considered Possible Value Trap. The stock's GF Value™ is $23.07, compared to a current price of $10.95 — trading 52.6% below its estimated fair value. The current Gross Margin % is 14.19%, which is 22% below median its 10-year median of 18.16 and 33.3% below the Packaging & Containers industry median of 21.27. Graphic Packaging Holding Co's overall GF Score™ is 64/100 with 5 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Gross Margin % calculated?
Gross Margin % is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Graphic Packaging Holding Co (GPK), the current Gross Margin % is 14.19% 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 Graphic Packaging Holding Co (GPK) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Graphic Packaging Holding Co stock appears to be undervalued.
The current stock price of $10.95 is trading 52.6% below its estimated GF Value™ of $23.07.
GuruFocus considers Graphic Packaging Holding Co to be Possible Value Trap.
Key valuation signals for GPK:
Gross Margin %: 14.19% (22% below median its 10-year median of 18.16)
GF Value™: $23.07 vs. price of $10.95 (52.6% below fair value)
Industry Position: 33.3% below the Packaging & Containers median (#256 of 383)
No single metric tells the full story. See the GPK stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Graphic Packaging Holding Co is a holding company that manufactures and sells a variety of paper-based consumer packaging products through its subsidiaries. The company's reportable segments are; Americas Paperboard Packaging, and International Paperboard Packaging. The majority of the revenue is generated from its Americas Paperboard Packaging segment which includes paperboard packaging sold predominantly to consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies and cups, lids and food containers sold to foodservice companies and quick-service restaurants (QSR) serving the food, beverage, and consumer product markets in the Americas. Geographically, the company operates in Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific regions.
64GF Score
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