Paper Packaging

This is your Benzinga news summary and traders' outlook for Wednesday, August 3, 2011, covering headlines from overnight and Wednesday's pre-market session. Today in domestic pre-market trading, U.S. equity futures are set to rebound today after moving into negative territory for the year...

FBR Capital upgraded AeroVironment Inc (NASDAQ: AVAV) from “market perform” to “outperform.” AVAV's shares closed at $28.10 yesterday. AeroVironment's PEG ratio is 1.07. Robert W. Baird upgraded Fiserv Inc (NASDAQ: FISV) from “neutral” to “outperform.” Fiserv's shares closed at $57.88 yesterday....

Deutsche Bank has upgraded Rock-Tenn (NYSE: RKT) from Hold to Buy and maintains its $80 price target.

Sealed Air Corporation (NYSE: SEE) a leading provider of food and industrial system solutions, today announced that it received regulatory clearance from the European Commission under the European Union Merger Regulation for its proposed acquisition of Diversey Holdings, Inc.

According to Goldman Sachs, Graphic Packaging Holding (NYSE: GPK) reported 2Q2011 EPS of $0.09 (ex. items), shy of the $0.11 estimate and consensus of $0.10. Goldman Sachs said that GPK's adjusted 2Q2011 EBITDA was $150.1 mn, up 3.4% yoy but below our $160.6 mn estimate, with the downside stemming...

Sonoco-Alcore S.a.r.l., a wholly owned subsidiary of Sonoco (NYSE: SON) is making multi-million dollar investments in three of its European uncoated recycled paperboard mills to improve their energy efficiency, product range and environmental performance. The projects will be completed during...

Goldman Sachs has lowered the price target on Graphic Packaging Holding Company (NYSE: GPK) from $6.50 to $6.25 and maintains its Buy rating.

J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. is out with a research report on Graphic Packaging (NYSE: GPK) and it has a Neutral rating and a $6.50 price target on shares. In a note to clients, J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. writes, "Against a tough macro backdrop of weaker demand and rising input costs, GPK put up...

Jefferies is lowering its price target from $37 to $35 on Bemis (NYSE: BMS) following the company's 2Q11 results, but is maintaining its Hold rating on the stock. Says Jefferies, in the report, “We are trimming our estimates to reflect softer volumes and slower margin recovery. While margins...

Oppenheimer & Co. is out with a research report on Sonoco Products Company (NASDAQ: SON) and it has an Outperform rating and a $40 price target on shares. In a note to clients, Oppenheimer & Co. writes, "Many of the issues that caused the 2Q11 miss have been fixed. Productivity issues (~50...

Jefferies & Company has lowered the price target on Bemis Company (NYSE: BMS) from $37 to $35 and maintains its Hold rating.

Cusick's Corner We finished right on the lows and the bureaucrats in Washington still think that it is ok to continue to play Deficit Chicken. The pullback in the Buck was something that caught my eye and explained the run in the Commodities, XLE/DBC/FCX, so these are the sectors that investment...

Sonoco Products Co (NYSE: SON) reported a 9.4% drop in its second-quarter earnings and lowered its earnings forecast for the year. Sonoco reported its quarterly profit at $53.4 million, or $0.52 per share, down from $59 million, or $0.58 per share, in the year-ago period. Excluding restructuring...

Sonoco (NYSE: SON) expects third quarter 2011 base earnings to be in the range of $.64 to $.68 per diluted share. Base earnings in the third quarter of 2010 were a record $.65 per diluted share. For the full-year 2011, base earnings are projected to be in the range of $2.46 to $2.54 per diluted...

BMO reiterated its Outperform rating on Packaging Corporation of America (NYSE: PKG). At the same time, the rating agency left its price target on the company's stock unchanged at $40. On Monday, PKG closed the day at $27.11.