APD vs. PKG: Air Products and Chemicals vs. Packaging Corp of America Stock Comparison

November 11, 2026

How do Air Products and Chemicals (APD) and Packaging Corp of America (PKG) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.

Company Profile

Air Products and Chemicals (APD) and Packaging Corp of America (PKG) both fall under the Materials industry group, but APD is classified in Chemicals while PKG is classified in Containers & Packaging.

Company profile comparison for Air Products and Chemicals (APD) and Packaging Corp of America (PKG)
Profile Item	APD	PKG
Name	Air Products and Chemicals Inc.	Packaging Corporation of America
Country/Region	United States	United States
GICS Sector	Materials	Materials
GICS Industry Group	Materials	Materials
GICS Industry	Chemicals	Containers & Packaging
GICS Sub-Industry	Industrial Gases	Paper & Plastic Packaging Products & Materials
Market Capitalization	67.88 billion USD	22.25 billion USD
Currency	USD	USD
Exchange	NYSE	NYSE
Listing Date	March 17, 1980	January 28, 2000
Security Type	Common Stock	Common Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

APD

PKG

GSPC

Air Products and Chemicals (APD) vs. Packaging Corp of America (PKG), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for Air Products and Chemicals (APD) and Packaging Corp of America (PKG). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Air Products and Chemicals (APD) and Packaging Corp of America (PKG). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Air Products and Chemicals (APD) and Packaging Corp of America (PKG)
Metric	APD	PKG
Total Return (1Y)	23.26%	31.07%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)	8.49%	21.13%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)	2.43%	17.23%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

APD

PKG

GSPC

Air Products and Chemicals (APD) vs. Packaging Corp of America (PKG), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for Air Products and Chemicals (APD) and Packaging Corp of America (PKG). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Air Products and Chemicals (APD) and Packaging Corp of America (PKG)
Metric	APD	PKG
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)	25.21%	28.35%
Beta (5Y)	0.67	0.76
Max Drawdown (5Y)	-31.77%	-31.78%
Avg. Volume (3M)	1.06M	624.28K

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

APD and PKG are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for Air Products and Chemicals (APD) and Packaging Corp of America (PKG)
Metric	APD	PKG
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)	0.75	0.95
Sortino Ratio (1Y)	1.14	1.49

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Capital efficiency shows on one side only: Air Products and Chemicals (APD) earns 3.19% on shareholders’ equity, ranked against its industry; Packaging Corp of America (PKG) has no ROE this period.

APD

Materials industry group

3.19%

Max: 52.88%
Q3: 19.49%
Median: 8.76%
APD: 3.19%
Q1: -3.41%
Min: -32.81%

PKG

Materials industry group

Max: 52.88%
Q3: 19.49%
Median: 8.76%
Q1: -3.41%
Min: -32.81%
PKG: --

Air Products and Chemicals (APD) vs. Packaging Corp of America (PKG): PKG does not report ROE, so it has no value marker; APD is benchmarked against the Materials industry group.

Net Margin (TTM)

Both Air Products and Chemicals (APD) at 4.10% and Packaging Corp of America (PKG) at 7.40% keep about the typical share of revenue as profit for their industries — neither bottom line stands out from peers.

APD

Materials industry group

4.10%

Max: 38.66%
Q3: 15.98%
Median: 5.28%
APD: 4.10%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: -20.40%

PKG

Materials industry group

7.40%

Max: 38.66%
Q3: 15.98%
PKG: 7.40%
Median: 5.28%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: -20.40%

Air Products and Chemicals (APD) vs. Packaging Corp of America (PKG): A comparison of their net margin against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Both Air Products and Chemicals (APD) at 17.68% and Packaging Corp of America (PKG) at 14.97% run core operations about as efficiently as their industries’ norm — neither stands out on operating profitability.

APD

Materials industry group

17.68%

Max: 66.70%
Q3: 28.92%
APD: 17.68%
Median: 12.56%
Q1: 3.28%
Min: -14.07%

PKG

Materials industry group

14.97%

Max: 66.70%
Q3: 28.92%
PKG: 14.97%
Median: 12.56%
Q1: 3.28%
Min: -14.07%

Air Products and Chemicals (APD) vs. Packaging Corp of America (PKG): A comparison of their operating margin against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Air Products and Chemicals (APD) and Packaging Corp of America (PKG)
Metric	APD	PKG
ROE (TTM)	3.19%	--
ROA (TTM)	4.80%	--
Net Margin (TTM)	4.10%	7.40%
Operating Margin (TTM)	17.68%	14.97%
Gross Margin (TTM)	31.58%	21.24%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Packaging Corp of America (PKG) at 7.23% is around its peer norm for revenue growth, while Air Products and Chemicals (APD) at -0.52% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker demand or pricing momentum.

Air Products and Chemicals (APD) vs. Packaging Corp of America (PKG): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Packaging Corp of America (PKG) at -3.92% is around its peer norm for EPS growth, while Air Products and Chemicals (APD) at -110.30% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker earnings momentum.

Air Products and Chemicals (APD) vs. Packaging Corp of America (PKG): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Air Products and Chemicals (APD) and Packaging Corp of America (PKG)
Metric	APD	PKG
Revenue Growth (YoY)	-0.52%	7.23%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)	-1.77%	1.97%
EPS Growth (YoY)	-110.30%	-3.92%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)	--	-8.03%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Short-term liquidity can only be read on one side of this pairing: Air Products and Chemicals (APD) shows current ratio of 1.07 against its industry benchmark, while Packaging Corp of America (PKG) has no reading this period.

APD

Materials industry group

1.07

Max: 5.96
Q3: 3.30
Median: 2.24
Q1: 1.45
APD: 1.07
Min: 0.16

PKG

Materials industry group

Max: 5.96
Q3: 3.30
Median: 2.24
Q1: 1.45
Min: 0.16
PKG: --

Air Products and Chemicals (APD) vs. Packaging Corp of America (PKG): PKG does not report current ratio, so it has no value marker; APD is benchmarked against the Materials industry group.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Both Air Products and Chemicals (APD) at 1.06 and Packaging Corp of America (PKG) at 0.94 lean more heavily on debt funding than most peers, landing in the higher-leverage quartile of their industries.

APD

Materials industry group

1.06

Max: 1.98
APD: 1.06
Q3: 0.89
Median: 0.47
Q1: 0.13
Min: 0.00

PKG

Materials industry group

0.94

Max: 1.98
PKG: 0.94
Q3: 0.89
Median: 0.47
Q1: 0.13
Min: 0.00

Air Products and Chemicals (APD) vs. Packaging Corp of America (PKG): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Air Products and Chemicals (APD) and Packaging Corp of America (PKG)
Metric	APD	PKG
Current Ratio (MRQ)	1.07	--
Debt / Equity (MRQ)	1.06	0.94
Net Debt / EBITDA	3.61	1.92

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Both Air Products and Chemicals (APD) at 2.33% and Packaging Corp of America (PKG) at 2.21% offer top-quartile dividend income relative to share price within their industries.

APD

Materials industry group

2.33%

Max: 4.52%
APD: 2.33%
Q3: 1.85%
Median: 0.38%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

PKG

Materials industry group

2.21%

Max: 4.52%
PKG: 2.21%
Q3: 1.85%
Median: 0.38%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

Air Products and Chemicals (APD) vs. Packaging Corp of America (PKG): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Both Air Products and Chemicals (APD) at 75.66% and Packaging Corp of America (PKG) at 67.82% pay out an above-typical share of earnings for their industries, leaving thinner cover if profits dip.

APD

Materials industry group

75.66%

Max: 83.62%
APD: 75.66%
Q3: 41.37%
Median: 9.54%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

PKG

Materials industry group

67.82%

Max: 83.62%
PKG: 67.82%
Q3: 41.37%
Median: 9.54%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

Air Products and Chemicals (APD) vs. Packaging Corp of America (PKG): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Air Products and Chemicals (APD) and Packaging Corp of America (PKG)
Metric	APD	PKG
Dividend Yield (TTM)	2.33%	2.21%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	75.66%	67.82%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Packaging Corp of America (PKG) at 30.79 is near its industry’s usual P/E ratio, while Air Products and Chemicals (APD) at 127.55 sits above its peer range — an unusually expensive price for APD’s trailing earnings.

APD

Materials industry group

127.55

APD: 127.55
Max: 59.00
Q3: 32.93
Median: 18.82
Q1: 11.96
Min: 3.93

PKG

Materials industry group

30.79

Max: 59.00
Q3: 32.93
PKG: 30.79
Median: 18.82
Q1: 11.96
Min: 3.93

Air Products and Chemicals (APD) vs. Packaging Corp of America (PKG): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Materials industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

Packaging Corp of America (PKG) at 2.26 is priced about in line with its industry on P/S ratio, while Air Products and Chemicals (APD) at 5.23 sits in the pricier quartile — APD costs more per dollar of sales.

APD

Materials industry group

5.23

Max: 9.62
APD: 5.23
Q3: 4.34
Median: 1.87
Q1: 0.73
Min: 0.00

PKG

Materials industry group

2.26

Max: 9.62
Q3: 4.34
PKG: 2.26
Median: 1.87
Q1: 0.73
Min: 0.00

Air Products and Chemicals (APD) vs. Packaging Corp of America (PKG): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Materials industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Both Air Products and Chemicals (APD) at 4.76 and Packaging Corp of America (PKG) at 4.74 carry a premium to book value versus peers, sitting in the upper P/B ratio quartile of their industries.

APD

Materials industry group

4.76

Max: 6.59
APD: 4.76
Q3: 3.55
Median: 2.08
Q1: 1.26
Min: -0.17

PKG

Materials industry group

4.74

Max: 6.59
PKG: 4.74
Q3: 3.55
Median: 2.08
Q1: 1.26
Min: -0.17

Air Products and Chemicals (APD) vs. Packaging Corp of America (PKG): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Air Products and Chemicals (APD) and Packaging Corp of America (PKG)
Metric	APD	PKG
P/E Ratio (TTM)	127.55	30.79
P/S Ratio (TTM)	5.23	2.26
P/B Ratio (MRQ)	4.76	4.74
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)	-0.28%	--