Seal Up These Three Packaging Stocks - Barron's

A recent drop in the dollar has seen foreign producers opening U.S. factories at "near record pace." Barron's magazine says a somewhat unexpected result is a serious shortage in boxes and containers.

Shares of packaging stocks have not fared well in recent months due to burgeoning raw-material costs and more-expensive transportation. Now it seems the industry has already or will soon turn the corner -- prices are beginning to rise. Box companies also produce 36% of their sales overseas, making them a source of diversification in the event of an extended domestic slowdown.

KeyBlanc analyst Christopher Manual likes the following three companies:

1. Silgan (SLGN): 60% of its portfolio is in recession-resistant metal food cans.
2. Grief (GEF): makes industrial packaging products. Its China market share hasn't yet hit double digits, leaving plenty of room for further growth.
3. Pactiv (PTV): its plastics line-up makes it susceptible to high oil prices. But Pactiv recently locked in a round of price hikes. Shares trade at 12.7x 2008 earnings, compared with 13.4x for the sector.

Comments

[Richard Allen:]

What do you not like about Bemis?

2008 May 05 11:15 AM

[Healthy:]

Is there a historical sector rotation to the packagiong sector at this point of the business cycle?

2008 May 05 03:44 PM

[Packaging:]

They where all rushing to open factorys in Mexico before.

Feb 09 09:07 AM