
Smurfit Westrock Plc (SW)
Smurfit Westrock is a global giant that turns paper and cardboard into the boxes and packaging used by almost every industry to ship goods to your door.
Is Smurfit Westrock Plc a good stock for a UK beginner?
The honest version: Smurfit Westrock is a global giant that turns paper and cardboard into the boxes and packaging used by almost every industry to ship goods to your door.
Over about 2 years to 2026-07-31. This is the share price only - reinvesting the dividends would add to it. And it's the USD return - as a UK investor your actual £ return also moves with the exchange rate. Past performance is not a guide to the future, and it could just as easily have fallen.
Based on beta - how much the price swings versus the whole market. Bumpier isn't bad; it just means a rougher ride, which matters more the sooner you might need the money.
Prices move on results, news and the mood of the whole market - no single headline explains a day, and a quiet week is usually just noise, not a signal.
The company becomes the dominant global leader in sustainable packaging.
Failure to adapt to new sustainable material technologies or heavy debt burdens.
What does Smurfit Westrock Plc do?
This company is the result of a massive merger between two packaging heavyweights, creating a business that makes everything from simple delivery boxes to complex retail displays. Selling these paper-based solutions to companies that need to protect and transport their products is the source of revenue. Watch how well they combine their operations to save costs and whether demand for shipping boxes picks up as the global economy shifts.
On our factor screen it looks strongest on value and momentum, and weakest on growth.
- ✓Pays a dividend - about 3.9% a year
- !Thin profits - turns only about 2% of sales into profit
- !High P/E of 49 - big growth is already priced in
- Value screens high (72/100)
- Massive scale provides a competitive advantage in pricing and logistics.
- Essential service as almost all physical goods require packaging.
- Attractive dividend yield for those looking for income.
- Quality screens low (22/100)
- Growth screens low (14/100)
- Integration risks following the recent large-scale merger.
- Fluctuating costs of raw materials like wood pulp.
- Potential for reduced demand if consumers spend less on physical goods.
What do Smurfit Westrock Plc's numbers mean?
How much money does Smurfit Westrock Plc make?
Revenue and profit by quarter, and how much of each sale turns into profit.
Does Smurfit Westrock Plc pay a dividend?
Yes - Smurfit Westrock Plc currently pays a dividend of about 3.9% a year (the yearly payout as a share of the price). A dividend is a slice of profit handed to shareholders; the yield moves as the price moves, and a company can cut or stop it.
When does Smurfit Westrock Plc report earnings, and how did recent quarters go?
Smurfit Westrock Plc is next scheduled to report on about 2026-10-28 - dates can move, and we don't predict results; this just tells you when to look.
Each quarter a company reports its results against what analysts expected. ‘Beating’ or ‘missing’ is about that expectation, not whether the business is doing well in absolute terms.
| Reported | Expected EPS: The earnings per share analysts expected for the quarter - the average of their forecasts. 'Beating' or 'missing' is measured against this number. | Actual EPS | vs expected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-29 | $0.42 | $0.35 | Missed -17% |
| 2026-04-30 | $0.40 | $0.33 | Missed -17% |
| 2026-02-11 | $0.50 | $0.28 | Missed -43% |
| 2025-10-29 | $0.72 | $0.58 | Missed -20% |
| 2025-07-30 | $0.59 | $0.51 | Missed -14% |
| 2025-05-01 | $0.67 | $0.83 | Beat +24% |
Across the last 6 quarters here, Smurfit Westrock Plc came in ahead of what analysts expected 1 time. One quarter is noise, not a trend.
See who else reports over the next two weeks →
Reported vs expected earnings per share (EPS) from published results; the expectation is the analyst consensus, not our view. Report dates are estimates that can move.
More in Consumer Cyclical
What are the scenarios for Smurfit Westrock Plc?
An illustrative range for the year ahead, with the assumption behind each case — not a prediction or a price target.
What are the pros and cons of Smurfit Westrock Plc?
How many points the write-up makes each way — a balance check, not a score or verdict.
- Massive scale provides a competitive advantage in pricing and logistics.
- Essential service as almost all physical goods require packaging.
- Attractive dividend yield for those looking for income.
- Very thin profit margins leave little room for error.
- Recent earnings growth has been significantly negative.
- The business is highly sensitive to the ups and downs of the wider economy.
- Integration risks following the recent large-scale merger.
- Fluctuating costs of raw materials like wood pulp.
- Potential for reduced demand if consumers spend less on physical goods.
The write-up's own warning lights — if these start happening, the case above changes.
- A sustained, sharp increase in net profit margins.
- A major shift in consumer behaviour away from online shopping and physical deliveries.
Built from public filings & market prices, checked for an education-only tone, and never a price target. How we make these →
This plain-English summary was auto-generated on 2026-08-01 from public data and checked for an education-only, no-advice tone (the figures above carry their own, usually fresher, 'as of' date). It's information, never a recommendation.