CLW Stock Analysis: Clearwater Paper | NYSE
Paper & Paper Products | NYSE, USA | Market Cap: 368m USD | 12M Return: 4.2% | US18538R1032 | Charts, Fundamentals & Technical Analysis
Avg Turnover: 3.87M
Qual. Beats: 0
Rev. Trend: -37.6%
Qual. Beats: 0
Warnings
Tailwinds
Seasonality 10.5 years of data
How good or bad each month usually is (without trend). The score below shows how much you can trust it: 0 = pure chance, >40 gets interesting and >55 is strong.
Clearwater Paper Corporation (NYSE: CLW) is a U.S.-based manufacturer of solid bleached sulfate (SBS) paperboard, serving packaging converters both domestically and internationally. Its product portfolio spans folding carton paperboard, food service applications (such as cups, plates, and liquid packaging), rigid containers for juice, milk, and wine, and custom sheeting and slitting services. Founded in 1926 and headquartered in Spokane, Washington, the company operates within the Materials sectors Paper Products sub-industry.
SBS paperboard is a premium-grade paperboard recognized for its bright white finish and superior printability, making it well-suited for high-end folding cartons in consumer goods such as pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and packaged foods. Clearwater Paper sells primarily to packaging converters-intermediaries that process the paperboard into finished packaging for brand owners-rather than directly to end-product manufacturers.
- SBS paperboard pricing pressured by pulp input cost inflation
- Folding carton and food service volume tracks consumer goods demand
- Capital allocation priorities focus on debt paydown and mill efficiency
| Net Income: -49.3m TTM > 0 and > 6% of Revenue |
| FCF/TA: 0.04 > 0.02 and ΔFCF/TA 14.65 > 1.0 |
| NWC/Revenue: 19.71% < 20% (prev 16.19%; Δ 3.52% < -1%) |
| CFO/TA 0.07 > 3% & CFO 108.5m > Net Income -49.3m |
| Net Debt (277.7m) to EBITDA (10.6m): 26.20 < 3 |
| Current Ratio: 2.29 > 1.5 & < 3 |
| Outstanding Shares: last quarter (16.1m) vs 12m ago -0.71% < -2% |
| Gross Margin: 1.62% > 18% (prev 8.03%; Δ -6.41% > 0.5%) |
| Asset Turnover: 94.67% > 50% (prev 94.50%; Δ 0.18% > 0%) |
| Interest Coverage Ratio: -4.30 > 6 (EBIT TTM -83.4m / Interest Expense TTM 19.4m) |
| A: 0.19 (Total Current Assets 532.0m - Total Current Liabilities 232.3m) / Total Assets 1.57b |
| B: 0.53 (Retained Earnings 828.0m / Total Assets 1.57b) |
| C: -0.05 (EBIT TTM -83.4m / Avg Total Assets 1.61b) |
| D: 1.02 (Book Value of Equity 794.1m / Total Liabilities 777.3m) |
| Altman-Z'' = 3.69 = AA |
| DSRI: 1.00 (Receivables 162.9m/165.9m, Revenue 1.52b/1.55b) |
| GMI: 4.94 (GM 8.03% / 1.62%) |
| AQI: -13.70 (AQ_t -0.86 / AQ_t-1 0.06) |
| SGI: 0.98 (Revenue 1.52b / 1.55b) |
| TATA: -0.10 (NI -49.3m - CFO 108.5m) / TA 1.57b) |
| Beneish M = -8.20 (Cap -4..+1) = AAA |
As of August 12, 2026, the stock is trading at USD 22.67 with a total of 101,823 shares traded. Over the past week, the price has changed by -0.79%, over one month by +49.24%, over three months by +68.93% and over the past year by +4.18%.
Current recommended Stop Loss: 21.40 (which is 5.6% or 1.2 ATR below the current price).
Clearwater Paper has received a consensus analysts rating of 4.00. Therefore, it is recommended to buy CLW.
- StrongBuy: 0
- Buy: 1
- Hold: 0
- Sell: 0
- StrongSell: 0
| Analysts Target Price | 20.8 | -8.5% |
P/E Forward = 10.9051
P/S = 0.2422
P/B = 0.4734
P/EG = 3.2135
Revenue TTM = 1.52b USD
EBIT TTM = -83.4m USD
EBITDA TTM = 10.6m USD
Long Term Debt = 360.5m USD (from longTermDebt, last quarter)
Short Term Debt = 600k USD (from shortTermDebt, last quarter)
Debt = 373.1m USD (from shortLongTermDebtTotal, last quarter) + Leases 12.0m
Net Debt = 277.7m USD (calculated: Debt 373.1m - CCE 95.4m)
Enterprise Value = 645.8m USD (368.1m + Debt 373.1m - CCE 95.4m)
Interest Coverage Ratio = -4.30 (Ebit TTM -83.4m / Interest Expense TTM 19.4m)
EV/FCF = 11.41x (Enterprise Value 645.8m / FCF TTM 56.6m)
FCF Yield = 8.76% (FCF TTM 56.6m / Enterprise Value 645.8m)
FCF Margin = 3.72% (FCF TTM 56.6m / Revenue TTM 1.52b)
Net Margin = -3.24% (Net Income TTM -49.3m / Revenue TTM 1.52b)
Gross Margin = 1.62% ((Revenue TTM 1.52b - Cost of Revenue TTM 1.50b) / Revenue TTM)
Gross Margin QoQ = -2.77% (prev -0.25%)
Tobins Q-Ratio = 0.41 (Enterprise Value 645.8m / Total Assets 1.57b)
Interest Expense / Debt = 5.20% (Interest Expense 19.4m / Debt 373.1m)
Taxrate = 21.0% (US federal default 21%)
NOPAT = -65.9m (EBIT -83.4m * (1 - 21.00%)) [loss with tax shield]
Current Ratio = 2.29 (Total Current Assets 532.0m / Total Current Liabilities 232.3m)
Debt / Equity = 0.47 (Debt 373.1m / totalStockholderEquity, last quarter 794.1m)
Debt / EBITDA = 26.20 (Net Debt 277.7m / EBITDA 10.6m)
Debt / FCF = 4.91 (Net Debt 277.7m / FCF TTM 56.6m)
Total Stockholder Equity = 804.0m (last 4 quarters mean from totalStockholderEquity)
RoA = -3.07% (Net Income -49.3m / Total Assets 1.57b)
RoE = -6.13% (Net Income TTM -49.3m / Total Stockholder Equity 804.0m)
RoCE = -7.16% (EBIT -83.4m / Capital Employed (Equity 804.0m + L.T.Debt 360.5m))
RoIC = -5.21% (negative operating profit) (NOPAT -65.9m / Invested Capital 1.26b)
WACC = 6.95% (E(368.1m)/V(741.2m) * Re(9.84%) + D(373.1m)/V(741.2m) * Rd(5.20%) * (1-Tc(0.21)))
Discount Rate = 9.84% (= CAPM, Blume Beta Adj.)
Shares (quarterly) Correlation: -92.35 | Cagr: -2.05%
[DCF] Terminal Value 75.44% ; FCFF base≈56.6m ; Y1≈56.8m ; Y5≈60.2m
[DCF] Fair Price = 40.85 (EV 936.4m - Net Debt 277.7m = Equity 658.7m / Shares 16.1m; r=8.35% [WACC [floored]]; 5y FCF grow 0.0% → 2.50% )
EPS Correlation: N/A | EPS CAGR: N/A | SUE: -0.08 | # QB: 0
Revenue Correlation: -37.65 | Revenue CAGR: -2.76% | SUE: -0.00 | # QB: 0
EPS current Quarter (2026-09-30): EPS=-0.14 | Chg30d=+68.85% | Revisions=+0% | Analysts=3
EPS current Year (2026-12-31): EPS=-3.54 | Chg30d=+21.75% | Revisions=+17% | GrowthEPS=-2257.8% | GrowthRev=-3.9%
EPS next Year (2027-12-31): EPS=-0.88 | Chg30d=+43.07% | Revisions=+40% | GrowthEPS=+75.2% | GrowthRev=+3.9%
[Analyst] Revisions Ratio: +30% (up=5, down=2)