Smurfit Westrock PLC (SW)

Over the past six months, Smurfit WestRock's stock has experienced fluctuations, declining 22.1% as of late June 2025. In April 2025, the stock declined significantly due to investor concerns and macroeconomic conditions. However, in February 2025, EPS increased 47.4% year-over-year, and net sales were up 163.4%. Smurfit WestRock also reported beating Q1 2025 earnings per share estimates in May 2025. The company announced exchange offers for senior notes in May 2025 and held its Annual General Meeting of Shareholders. Analysts have maintained "Buy" or "Overweight" ratings with price target increases in late 2024 and early 2025.

Demand for Smurfit WestRock's products exhibits seasonality, with the first quarter typically being the weakest. The fourth quarter generally sees EBITDA that is 3-5% higher than Q1, while the second and third quarters typically show even stronger performance, with EBITDA 5-10% higher than Q1.

Smurfit WestRock specializes in paper-based packaging products, including corrugated packaging, containerboard, and paperboard. They also produce consumer packaging and serve diverse markets such as food and beverage, e-commerce, and retail. The company's integrated operations source raw materials from its own paper mills, utilizing recovered fiber and wood.

Smurfit WestRock operates in 40 countries across Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Australia. Its network includes over 500 packaging converting operations and 62 paper mills. Approximately 47% of its total revenue is generated in North America, followed by 45% from Europe, MEA, and APAC, with the remainder from Latin America.

Smurfit WestRock positions itself as a global leader in sustainable packaging, emphasizing eco-friendly solutions and the circular economy. The company focuses on using renewable, recyclable, and recycled materials and is working towards combining its ESG policies in 2025. No specific negative events significantly impacting its brand reputation in the past year were found.

Smurfit WestRock's ownership is primarily institutional, with approximately 79.31% of shares held by institutional shareholders, including Vanguard Group Inc. and BlackRock, Inc. Insiders hold about 0.47% of the stock, with SMURFIT ANTHONY P J holding the largest insider stake. Retail investors own approximately 20.22% of the company, and insider selling activity has been noted recently.