SW Analyst Ratings
Smurfit Westrock plc (SW) operates in the Consumer Cyclical sector, specifically the Packaging & Containers industry, with a market capitalization near $21.74B, listed on NYSE, employing roughly 97,000 people, carrying a beta of 0.93 to the broader market. Smurfit Westrock Plc, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures, distributes, and sells containerboard, corrugated containers, and other paper-based packaging products in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and internationally. Led by Anthony Paul J. Smurfit, public since 2008-06-17.
Analyst Ratings
In the October 2026 monthly count, 17 analysts rated SW: 5 Strong Buy, 12 Buy, 0 Hold, 0 Sell and 0 Strong Sell.
Twelve months earlier, in October 2025: 19 analysts, 5 Strong Buy, 11 Buy, 3 Hold, 0 Sell and 0 Strong Sell.
Price Targets
- Average Target
- $71.50
- Median Target
- $57.50
- High
- $170.00
- Low
- $50.00
- Targets Published, Last 12 Months
- 21
Recent Price Targets
The 5 most recent of 21 price targets published in the last 12 months.
| Date | Firm | Analyst | Target | Price When Posted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 27, 2026 | Morgan Stanley | Not named | $58.00 | $49.25 |
| Aug 14, 2026 | Nomura | Not named | $170.00 | $50.02 |
| Aug 12, 2026 | Seaport Global | Mark Weintraub | $54.00 | $49.18 |
| Jul 30, 2026 | RBC Capital | Matthew McKellar | $60.00 | $47.63 |
| Jul 28, 2026 | Loop Capital Markets | Not named | $71.00 | $51.56 |
Recent Upgrades & Downgrades
| Date | Firm | Action | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2, 2026 | Citigroup | maintain | Buy | Buy |
| Sep 23, 2026 | JP Morgan | maintain | Overweight | Overweight |
| Aug 27, 2026 | Morgan Stanley | maintain | Overweight | Overweight |
| Aug 4, 2026 | Citigroup | maintain | Buy | Buy |
| Aug 4, 2026 | Barclays | maintain | Overweight | Overweight |
Quantitative Rating
SW carries a model grade of B (overall score 3 of 5), computed from six valuation and financial measures (discounted cash flow, return on equity, return on assets, debt to equity, price to earnings and price to book), each scored 1 to 5. It is not an analyst rating.
How to Read SW Analyst Coverage
Sell-side equity analysts publish three primary outputs: ratings (Strong Buy / Buy / Hold / Sell / Strong Sell, or firm-specific equivalents), price targets, and EPS / revenue estimate revisions. Rating consensus moves slowly relative to price; it reflects 12-month directional conviction rather than near-term momentum. Price targets are more responsive but typically drift behind realized price during sharp moves. The most actionable signal for options traders is a cluster of ratings actions across multiple firms within a short window, which compresses or expands implied volatility on a horizon of days to weeks and shifts the put-call skew toward the directional consensus. The recent-actions table above shows the five most recent firm-level changes; longer histories live behind aggregator sources.
For event-driven options sizing, pair the consensus rating and target distribution with the implied-volatility surface and dealer-positioning view. Aggressive target hikes from multiple firms tend to tighten put skew (downside protection becomes relatively cheaper); aggressive cuts widen put skew. The size of the IV response in the hours after a rating change is visible on the per-ticker volatility skew page and the gamma-exposure page, both of which show how dealer hedging propagates the analyst-driven flow into the listed options chain.
Learn how analyst ratings is reported and how to read the data →
Frequently asked SW analyst ratings questions
- What is the SW consensus price target?
- As of the latest aggregator update, Smurfit Westrock plc (SW) carries a consensus 12-month price target of $71.50. Target ranges run from a low of $50.00 to a high of $170.00. The target is the average of the price targets published by sell-side equity analysts covering the name.
- What is the analyst rating consensus on SW?
- In the October 2026 monthly count, 17 analysts rated SW, and the distribution tilts to the Buy side: 5 Strong Buy, 12 Buy, 0 Hold, 0 Sell and 0 Strong Sell. Rating consensus moves slowly relative to price; it reflects sell-side conviction over a 12-month horizon rather than near-term momentum.
- What recent ratings actions has SW seen?
- The five most recent ratings actions on SW appear on the page above. Sell-side rating changes are watched for two reasons: an upgrade or downgrade with a meaningful target revision moves the consensus and can trigger short-term positioning shifts, and the firm-level rating cluster (multiple firms moving in the same direction within a short window) is a clearer signal than any single action. Options markets often price the implied-vol response within minutes of the announcement.
- How do analyst targets affect SW options pricing?
- Analyst target revisions tend to be priced in by the lit options market within minutes of publication, but persistent target drift over weeks does correlate with implied-volatility movement. Aggressive target hikes from multiple firms inside a single quarter tighten put skew (downside protection becomes cheaper relative to upside speculation); aggressive cuts widen put skew. The most actionable read is the implied-vol response in the hours after a target change, which is visible on the per-ticker volatility skew page.