GEF vs PKG: Greif Bros and Packaging Corp of America compared
The short version
From the latest prices and each company's SEC filings. Who's ahead on each measure, not which to buy.
- Packaging Corp of America is the larger company, worth $19.5B, about 4.3 times Greif Bros.
- Packaging Corp of America grew revenue faster over the last year (+14.7% vs +4.3%).
- Packaging Corp of America keeps more of each dollar of revenue as operating profit (10.9% vs 7.8%).
- On earnings, Packaging Corp of America is the cheaper stock (26.9x vs 33.2x).
Side by side
The stronger figure is shaded where higher (or, for valuation multiples, lower) reads as better. How the implied growth works.
| Measure | GEF | PKG |
|---|---|---|
| Market cap | $4.6B | $19.5B |
| Share price | $81.82 | $227.25 |
| Revenue (last fiscal year) | $4.4B | $9.0B |
| Free cash flow (last fiscal year) | — | $729M |
| Revenue growth, last year | +4.3% | +14.7% |
| Revenue growth per year, last 5 fiscal years | -0.9% | +3.8% |
| Operating margin | 7.8% | 10.9% |
| Net margin | 6.2% | 7.2% |
| Return on equity | 9.1% | 14.8% |
| P/E (trailing) | 33.2x | 26.9x |
| Price / free cash flow | — | 26.8x |
| EV / EBITDA | 9.33x | 13.9x |
| FCF growth the price implies | — | 8.8% |
| Dividend yield | 3.0% | 2.3% |
| Debt / equity | 0.89x | 1.36x |
| Fundamental grade | C | D |
| Superinvestors holding it | 2 | 0 |
| Insider purchases, last 12 months | 6 | 8 |
Results from SEC filings
Revenue and free cash flow by fiscal year, from each company's 10-K filings.
Greif Bros
| Year | Revenue | Free cash flow | Op. margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | $4.5B | — | 6.8% |
| 2021 | $5.6B | — | 10.5% |
| 2022 | $6.3B | — | 9.8% |
| 2023 | $4.2B | — | 10.2% |
| 2024 | $4.4B | — | 7.8% |
Packaging Corp of America
| Year | Revenue | Free cash flow | Op. margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $7.7B | $489M | 16.1% |
| 2022 | $8.5B | $671M | 16.8% |
| 2023 | $7.8B | $845M | 13.8% |
| 2024 | $8.4B | $522M | 13.1% |
| 2025 | $9.0B | $729M | 12.3% |
Where the revenue comes from
Greif Bros · by segments, 2024
Global Industrial Packaging$3.1B57%
Paper Packaging & Services$2.3B42%
Land Management$20M0%
Packaging Corp of America · by segments, 2025
Packaging$8.3B91%
Paper$615M7%
Corporate and Other$234M3%
Compare them in fullFifteen years of statements, quarterly results, DCF and IRR models, and any number of peers side by side.
Open GEF in InvestinglyQuestions
Which is bigger, Greif Bros or Packaging Corp of America?
Packaging Corp of America (PKG), at $19.5B against $4.6B.
Is GEF or PKG cheaper?
By trailing P/E, Packaging Corp of America (26.9x) is cheaper than Greif Bros (33.2x). A lower multiple can also mean the market expects less growth.
Which grows faster, GEF or PKG?
Packaging Corp of America: revenue grew +14.7% over the last year, against +4.3%.
Prices and ratios as of the last daily update; statements from SEC filings. Information only, not investment advice.