Why Paper Stocks Were the S&P 500’s Top Performers Today

Shares of paper stocks were the biggest gainers in the S&P 500 on Friday, following a report that prices for the containerboard they make that is used in shipping boxes and packaging were going up. Truist analyst Michael Roxland wrote in a Friday note that Packaging Corporation of America’s plan to increase containerboard prices by $140 a ton in September will be positive not just for the Illinois-based firm, but also for rivals International Paper and Smurfit Westrock who he said are likely to follow suit. Shares of all three stocks closed sharply higher, with International Paper up 11.2%, making it the best-performing stock in the S&P 500 for the day.