Comparing Billerud AB (publ) (OTCMKTS:BLRDF) & Clearwater Paper (NYSE:CLW)

Billerud AB (publ) (OTCMKTS:BLRDF) and Clearwater Paper (NYSE:CLW) are both basic materials companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, profitability, valuation, earnings and risk.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of current ratings for Billerud AB (publ) and Clearwater Paper, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Billerud AB (publ)	1	0	2	0	2.33
Clearwater Paper	0	1	0	0	2.00

Clearwater Paper has a consensus price target of $42.00, suggesting a potential downside of 7.12%. Given Clearwater Paper’s higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Clearwater Paper is more favorable than Billerud AB (publ).

Profitability

This table compares Billerud AB (publ) and Clearwater Paper’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Billerud AB (publ)	N/A	N/A	N/A
Clearwater Paper	4.92%	17.35%	6.68%

Insider & Institutional Ownership

36.0% of Billerud AB (publ) shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 90.0% of Clearwater Paper shares are held by institutional investors. 2.3% of Clearwater Paper shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Billerud AB (publ) and Clearwater Paper’s gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Billerud AB (publ)	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Clearwater Paper	$2.08 billion	0.36	$107.80 million	$5.98	7.56

Clearwater Paper has higher revenue and earnings than Billerud AB (publ).

Summary

Clearwater Paper beats Billerud AB (publ) on 7 of the 9 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Billerud AB (publ)

Billerud AB (publ) provides paper and packaging materials worldwide. It operates through Region Europe, Region North America, and Solutions & Other segments. The Region Europe segment manufactures and sells liquid packaging board, kraft paper, containerboard, cartonboard, sack paper and market pulp, which are primarily used to produce packaging for food and beverages, industrial, medical and hygiene, as well as consumer and luxury goods. The Region North America segment engages in the manufacturing and sale of graphic paper, kraft and specialty paper, and market pulp, which are primarily used for printing and publishing, packaging of food, and consumer products. Its Solutions & Other segment provides services under managed packaging; and supply woods. The company was formerly known as BillerudKorsnäs AB (publ) and changed its name to Billerud AB (publ) in October 2022. Billerud AB (publ) was incorporated in 1926 and is headquartered in Solna, Sweden.

About Clearwater Paper

Clearwater Paper Corporation manufactures and supplies bleached paperboards, and consumer and parent roll tissues in the United States and internationally. It operates through Pulp and Paperboard, and Consumer Products segments. The Pulp and Paperboard segment manufactures and markets bleached paperboard; Solid Bleached Sulfate paperboard that is used to produce folding cartons, liquid packaging, cups and plates, blister and carded packaging, and top sheet and commercial printing items; and hardwood and softwood pulp, as well as offers services that include custom sheeting, slitting, and cutting. It sells its products to carton converters, folding carton converters, merchants, and commercial printers. The Consumer Products segment provides a line of at-home tissue products, including bath tissues, paper towels, facial tissues, and napkins; recycled fiber value grade products; and away-from-home tissues. This segment sells its products to retailers, including grocery, club, mass merchants, and discount stores. The company was incorporated in 2005 and is based in Spokane, Washington.