Graphic Packaging Holding Company Reports Third Quarter 2026 Financial Results
Q3 net income fell to $22M ($0.07/sh) from $142M; Adj. EBITDA down 25% y/y to $289M; FY26 Adj. EBITDA guided to $1.05B.
What this release says
Graphic Packaging reported third quarter 2026 net sales of $2,192 million, roughly flat year over year, with net income of $22 million, down from $142 million a year earlier. Adjusted EBITDA fell to $289 million from $383 million as commodity and operating cost inflation outweighed volume gains, though adjusted EBITDA margin improved sequentially for a second quarter. The company reaffirmed its full-year 2026 adjusted cash flow outlook of $600 to $700 million and expects a return to EBITDA growth next year.
Key figures
- Q3 net sales
- $2,192 million
- Q3 net income
- $22 million
- Q3 Adjusted EBITDA
- $289 million
- Q3 Adjusted EBITDA margin
- 13.2%
- Year-to-date Adjusted Cash Flow
- $314 million
- 2026 Adjusted Cash Flow outlook
- $600 to $700 million
Positive for shareholders
- Net sales and volumes grew year over year, with volumes up 1%.
- Adjusted EBITDA margin expanded sequentially for the second consecutive quarter.
- Year-to-date Adjusted Cash Flow rose $646 million from the first nine months of 2025, helping reduce debt.
Negative for shareholders
- Adjusted EBITDA margin fell to 13.2% from 17.5% in the third quarter of 2025.
- Net income dropped to $0.07 per diluted share from $0.48, with non-recurring items and amortization weighing on results.
Written by Quantisnow AI from this release. Not financial advice.
Key terms
- Adjusted EBITDA:
- Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, excluding one-time charges, deal-related costs and special items chosen by management.
- Net Performance:
- The company's measure of the effect of cost-cutting, productivity gains, production efficiencies and operating disruptions.
- Net Leverage Ratio:
- Total net debt divided by adjusted EBITDA, showing how many years of earnings it would take to repay debt.
- Adjusted Cash Flow:
- A company-defined cash measure that adjusts operating cash flow for certain items, used alongside GAAP results.
FAQ
How much did Graphic Packaging's adjusted EBITDA decline in the third quarter of 2026?
Adjusted EBITDA was $289 million versus $383 million a year earlier, a decline of $94 million. The release attributes the drop mainly to $83 million of commodity input and operating cost inflation.
What does Graphic Packaging expect for full-year 2026?
The company expects net sales of about $8.6 billion, Adjusted EBITDA of about $1.05 billion and Adjusted EPS of about $0.65, and it reaffirmed Adjusted Cash Flow of $600 to $700 million.
Historical context for GPK
Across the 30 sessions after earlier GPK headlines, the stock closed higher 13 times and lower 17 times, with a median move of 2.0% in either direction. This shows timing only: many things move a stock in a session, and these figures do not show that any headline caused a move.
| Session | Earlier headline | GPK | SPY |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2, 2026 | Graphic Packaging Holding Company to Host Third-Quarter 2026 Earnings Conference Call on November 3 | -2.0% | +0.7% |
| Sep 28, 2026 | Graphic Packaging Holding Company Appoints Aditya Gandhi as Chief Accounting Officer | -1.4% | -0.7% |
| Sep 23, 2026 | Graphic Packaging upgraded by Analyst with a new price target | +0.9% | -0.7% |
| Sep 17, 2026 | Graphic Packaging Earns Top-Five Ranking Among 100 Best Corporate Citizens | +1.9% | +1.1% |
| Sep 3, 2026 | Graphic Packaging Holding Company Appoints Tatiana Berardinelli Chief Human Resources Officer | -2.6% | +1.0% |
| Aug 27, 2026 | Graphic Packaging to Present at Jefferies Global Industrials Conference on September 10 | -1.0% | +0.7% |
- Market cap
- 30-day
- Sector
- Consumer Discretionary
- Industry
- Containers/Packaging
Follow GPK and get a push notification the moment its next story breaks.