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Clearwater Paper has the Financial Strength Rank of 5.
GuruFocus Financial Strength Rank measures how strong a company's financial situation is. It is rated on a scale of 1 to 10 and is based on these factors:
1. The debt burden that the company has as measured by its Interest Coverage (current year). The higher, the better.
2. Debt to revenue ratio. The lower, the better.
3. Altman Z-Score.
4. Other debt related ratios.
A higher score indicates a stronger financial position, with companies rated 7 or above considered financially stable and unlikely to face distress. Conversely, a score of 3 or below suggests potential financial difficulties, indicating a higher risk of distress.
Clearwater Paper did not have earnings to cover the interest expense.
Clearwater Paper's debt to revenue ratio for the quarter that ended in Jun. 2026 was 0.24.
As of today, Clearwater Paper's Altman Z-Score is 2.01.
Clearwater Paper (NYSE:CLW) Financial Strength Explanation
The rank is rated on a scale of 1 to 10. A higher score indicates a stronger financial position, with companies rated 7 or above considered financially stable and unlikely to face distress. Conversely, a score of 3 or below suggests potential financial difficulties, indicating a higher risk of distress.
Clearwater Paper has the Financial Strength Rank of 5.
Clearwater Paper Financial Strength Related Terms
CLW vs MERC, ITP: Financial Strength Comparison
For the Paper & Paper Products subindustry, Clearwater Paper's Financial Strength, along with its competitors' market caps and Financial Strength 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 Financial Strength vs Forest Products Industry
For the Forest Products industry and Basic Materials sector, Clearwater Paper's Financial Strength distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Clearwater Paper's Financial Strength falls into.
Interest Coverage is a ratio that determines how easily a company can pay interest expenses on outstanding debt. It is calculated by dividing a company's Operating Income (EBIT) by its Interest Expense:
Z-Score model is an accurate forecaster of failure up to two years prior to distress. It can be considered the assessment of the distress of industrial corporations.
The zones of discrimination were as such:
When Z-Score is less than 1.81, it is in Distress Zones.
When Z-Score is greater than 2.99, it is in Safe Zones.
When Z-Score is between 1.81 and 2.99, it is in Grey Zones.
Clearwater Paper has a Z-score of 2.01, indicating it is in Grey Zones. This implies that Clearwater Paper is in some kind of financial stress. If it is below 1.81, the company may faces bankrupcy risk.
Warning Sign:
Altman Z-score of 2.01 is in the grey area. This implies that the company is under some kind of financial stress. If it is below 1.8, the company may face bankruptcy risk.
* 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 Financial Strength of 5 as of Jun. 2026. The financial strength rank measures the strength of a company's balance sheet based on revenue and debt. View historical data on Clearwater Paper and its competitors. This is near median its historical median of 5.00. Over the past decade, Clearwater Paper's Financial Strength has ranged from 3.00 to 6.00.
Is Clearwater Paper's Financial Strength too high?
Clearwater Paper's current Financial Strength of 5 is near median its 10-year median of 5.00. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 3.00 to a high of 6.00. 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 Financial Strength compare to MERC and ITP?
Clearwater Paper's Financial Strength of 5 can be compared against companies in the Forest Products industry. Historically, Clearwater Paper's own Financial Strength has ranged from 3.00 to 6.00 over the past decade. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Financial Strength for a Forest Products company?
A good Financial Strength depends on the Forest Products industry context. However, Financial Strength should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Financial Strength mean?
A high Financial Strength can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. The financial strength rank measures the strength of a company's balance sheet based on revenue and debt. View historical data on Clearwater Paper and its competitors. Clearwater Paper's current Financial Strength is 5, which is near median its own 10-year median of 5.00. 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 $31.30, compared to a current price of $20.67 — trading 34% below its estimated fair value. The current Financial Strength is 5, which is near median its 10-year median of 5.00. Clearwater Paper's overall GF Score™ is 52/100 with 4 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Financial Strength calculated?
Financial Strength is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Clearwater Paper (CLW), the current Financial Strength is 5 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 $20.67 is trading 34% below its estimated GF Value™ of $31.30.
GuruFocus considers Clearwater Paper to be Possible Value Trap.
Key valuation signals for CLW:
Financial Strength: 5 (near median its 10-year median of 5.00)
GF Value™: $31.30 vs. price of $20.67 (34% below fair value)
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
Financial Strength is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.
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