Graphic Packaging reported a net income of $71m in the fourth quarter of 2025, down 48% from $138m in the same period last year.
The results included net charges for special items and amortisation of purchased intangibles totalling $14m, compared to $41m in the prior year.
EBITDA for the quarter declined by 19% to $305m from $376m a year earlier.
The company’s quarterly net sales reached $2.1bn, nearly flat from last year’s $2.09bn.
A 1% drop in price and volume led to a $32m reduction in packaging operations sales, offset by a favourable $40m impact from foreign currency movements.
Innovation sales growth for the quarter reached $56m.
For the full year, net income was $444m, equal to $1.48 per diluted share, compared to $658m, or $2.16 per share, in 2024.
Full-year results reflected charges of $95m for non-recurring items and amortisation of intangibles, slightly less than the previous year’s $101m.
Annual net sales edged down 2% to $8.6bn from the prior year’s $8.8bn.
This decrease was mainly due to a $150m reduction following the sale of a bleached paperboard facility in Augusta and related price and volume declines, along with a $97m decrease in packaging operations sales as prices fell by about 1% and volumes held steady.
Innovation sales growth over the year totalled $213m, or around 2.5% of annual net sales.
Yearly EBITDA dropped by 20% to $1.3bn from last year’s $1.7bn.
Total debt increased to $5.5bn at year-end 2025, up from $5.2bn a year earlier.
Net debt amounted to $5.3bn versus the previous year’s figure of $5.05bn.
The company returned approximately $281m to shareholders during the year through dividends and share buybacks.
Around 6.8 million shares were repurchased for roughly $150m, reducing outstanding shares by approximately 2.3%.
Dividends declared reached $33m for the final quarter and totalled $131m for the full year.
Looking forward to 2026, Graphic Packaging projects net sales between $8.4bn and $8.6bn, adjusted EBITDA within a range of $1.05bn to $1.25bn, and adjusted earnings per share between $0.75 and $1.15.
Graphic Packaging president and CEO Robbert Rietbroek, who took on the roles last month, said: "Consumer affordability created a challenging market for our customers, and competitive pressure remains a near-term headwind.
"As we move into 2026, our priorities are clear: drive operational excellence; deliver exceptional customer service; improve our cost structure; and drive substantial free cash flow to strengthen the balance sheet and return capital to shareholders.
“I have initiated a comprehensive review of our organisation structure, operations, and footprint, and a selective review of our portfolio to ensure that our resources are focused where we can create the greatest value for our shareholders."
