As reported by McKinsey & Company, the packaging industry has historically been behind other sectors in terms of adopting new technologies such as traditional AI and machine learning. However, a recent survey of over 200 paper and packaging executives across substrates and geographies revealed that executives recognize the potential of generative AI to drive business value. While approximately 95% of the respondents believed their companies should invest in gen AI, 77% said that their companies have moderate to strong intentions to use the technology in the near future.
In regards to the current adoption of gen AI, 24% of respondents reported that they either have launched or are developing generative AI tools or solutions in their area of work. A majority of those who had implemented gen AI saw its generated impacts as meeting or exceeding expectations. Survey respondents also expect generative AI to enable revenue growth and cost savings. They believed that opportunities to use generative AI are present across the packaging and paper value chain. The technology can also help generate new ideas through intellectual property and patent analytics, give customer analysis, and create customization options. Gen AI is expected to have the most profound impact on the commercial side of the industry for instance increasing sales team productivity, optimizing marketing spend, and improving pricing capabilities for companies.
While generative AI has an obvious advantage over traditional Artificial Intelligence since it can deal with messier data and offers easier adoption because of its accessible user interface, players in the paper and packaging industry are still subject to challenges. These challenges include limited access to data and to a modern data tech stack, gen AI's use causing intellectual property or privacy concerns, limited understanding of use cases to drive value in commercial activities, associated costs, and resistance to change among others.
Our Methodology
In order to compile a list of the 10 best packaging stocks to buy according to analysts, we first used a stock screener to make an extended list of the relevant companies with the highest market caps. Moving on, we shortlisted the top 10 stocks from our list which had the highest average upside potential. The 10 best packaging stocks to buy according to analysts have been arranged in ascending order of their average upside potential, as of November 1.
At Insider Monkey we are obsessed with the stocks that hedge funds pile into. The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter's strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).
A close-up of a technician inspecting and testing a dispensing closure component.
AptarGroup, Inc. (NYSE:ATR) is a global manufacturer of consumer dispensing packaging and drug delivery devices. It has over 13,000 employees in 20 countries across the pharmaceutical, beauty, food, beverage, personal care, and home industries. The company operates through Aptar Pharma, Aptar Beauty, and Aptar Closures segments. Aptar is headquartered in Crystal Lake, Illinois.
Aptar creates dosing, dispensing, and protective packaging solutions for the leading brands globally. The firm uses insights, design, engineering, and science to create innovative packaging technologies that build value for its customers. It brings innovations to the market that convert non-dispensing packaging into breakthrough product-dispensing systems.
While Aptar Pharma is the go-to drug delivery expert, Aptar Beauty creates added-value beauty packaging and dispensing solutions in fragrance, color cosmetics, skincare, and personal care, with advanced capabilities in sustainable and omnichannel packaging. It serves as a leading partner with over 75 years of experience in developing high-quality, industry-impacting dispensing and packaging solutions. It leverages its global network of technology expertise and connection to attractive markets and consumer insights to create leading-edge packaging solutions. Meanwhile, Aptar Closures enhances lives and markets with sustainable packaging solutions that drive growth, brand loyalty, and environmental goals across multiple industries.
Recently, AptarGroup, Inc. (NYSE:ATR) recorded strong third-quarter results, with a net income of $100 million, up 19% year-over-year. The segment-wise performance was robust with the Pharma segment delivering reported sales growth of 8% and core sales growth of 7% with continued demand for proprietary drug delivery systems, and the Aptar Closures segment witnessing sales increase 3% from the prior-year quarter. On the contrary, the Aptar Beauty segment's reported sales decreased 7% although the segment saw growth in the personal care and home care markets.
AptarGroup, Inc. (NYSE:ATR) is one of the best packaging stocks to buy now according to analysts. The firm's year-to-date financials remain strong with Aptar achieving double-digit earnings per share growth over the prior year period and is positioned to achieve double-digit adjusted EPS growth for the full year. Free cash flow has increased to $255 million compared to $124 million in the prior year.
Overall, ATR ranks 9th on our list of best packaging stocks to buy according to analysts. While we acknowledge the potential of ATR as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some deeply undervalued AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for a deeply undervalued AI stock that is more promising than ATR but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
READ NEXT: 8 Best Wide Moat Stocks to Buy Now and 30 Most Important AI Stocks According to BlackRock
Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.