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International Paper Company vs Smurfit Westrock: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

International Paper Company holds the cleaner structural position, with the lead spread across growth and valuation. Smurfit Westrock does not offset that deficit through any equally strong structural edge elsewhere. Both sides have seen trend damage — neither carries a clear market edge right now. With both trends damaged, the structural comparison carries most of the weight here.

The comparison is based on similar long-term financial trajectories, not sector labels.

Updated 2026-04-05

Most of the separation is still concentrated in growth. International Paper Company leads by 24 points on the overall comparison score.

INDUSTRY COMPARISON

Both operate in: Packaging & Containers

This comparison is based on industry proximity, not on functional trajectory similarity. IP and SW share the same industry classification.

For a similarity-based comparison, see how IP and Smurfit Westrock each position within their functional peer groups in AssetNext.

Peer-Relative Score
IP
International Paper Company
54
Peer-Score
Signal qualityMedium
vs
SW
Smurfit Westrock Plc
30
Peer-Score
Signal qualityMedium

Scores reflect position relative to comparable companies with similar long-term financial trajectories.

Score differences across key dimensions.

Dimension spread: IP vs SW Profitability 5 5 Stability 38 44 Valuation 86 55 Growth 95 15 IP SW
Gap Ranking
#1 Growth +80
#2 Valuation +31
#3 Stability +6
#4 Profitability
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for IP and SW Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer IPSW Relative valuation Structural strength

International Paper Company looks stronger on relative valuation, while the broader price setup remains mixed.

Valuation position uses Forward P/E and peer-relative PE percentile (idx_pct_pe) where available.

Relative Position vs Comparable Companies
Growth
On growth, International Paper Company ranks near the top of the group; Smurfit Westrock Plc sits in the weaker half.
Valuation
On valuation, the same pattern holds: both are strong, but International Paper Company still leads clearly.
Growth — Dominant Gap
IP
95
SW
15
Gap+80in favour of IP

Growth adds another layer to the lead, with a very wide gap in revenue growth between the two companies.

What else supports the lead

Valuation also supports the lead, so the result is broader than one isolated gap.

What this means for the comparison

The lead is built on both growth and valuation, making it broader than a single-dimension result.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

Break down the IP vs SW comparison across all dimensions with the full interactive tool.

Explore full breakdown →
Similar growth-driven comparisons

Explore how IP and SW each compare against other companies in their peer groups.

Rule-based, descriptive analysis only. Derived from peer percentile dimensions. Not investment advice. Peer groups are determined algorithmically based on structural similarity — not by sector classification alone.

How AssetNext Peer Scores Work

AssetNext scores reflect each company's structural position within its functional peer group — not a ranking against all stocks simultaneously. Peers are identified by similarity across eight financial dimensions, including revenue growth trajectory, margin structure, capital intensity, and earnings stability. A score of 75 means the company ranks in the top quartile within its own peer group, not the entire market.

Four dimension scores drive the overall peer score: Growth (revenue trajectory and expansion dynamics), Quality (margin structure and capital efficiency), Valuation (peer-relative pricing on standard multiples), and Stability (earnings consistency and financial predictability). Each dimension is scored 0–100 relative to the peer group, then combined into an overall peer score using equal weighting.

Scores are recalculated periodically as underlying financial data is updated. All analysis is descriptive and rule-based — AssetNext describes structural realities and never issues buy, sell or hold recommendations.