Fact based stock research
Clearwater Paper (NYSE:CLW)
US18538R1032
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For every stock, we judge its performance against its peers and rank it on a scale of 1 to 100. The higher the rank, the better the stock performs than its peers. And, we do this for six investment strategies:
Value - shows how good of a value the stock is. Green is "inexpensive"; red is "expensive".
Growth - shows a company's growth potential. Green is "high growth" expected; red is "tough times ahead".
Safety - relates to the amount of debt a company has. Green is low debt level; red is high debt level.
Combined Financial - this isn't an average of the first three ranks but rather a consolidated view across several financial indicators. Green = good; red = tread carefully.
(NEW) Sentiment - quantifies professional analyst ratings and holdings as well as market pulse. Green = positive sentiment; red = skepticism (Only available to Premium Subscribers).
(NEW) 360° View - the ultimate rating with all financial and non-financial indicators.
Clearwater Paper stock research in summary
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 30 (worse than 70% compared with investment alternatives), Clearwater Paper (Paper Products, USA) shares have somewhat below-average financial characteristics compared with similar stocks. Shares of Clearwater Paper are low in value (priced high) with a consolidated Value Rank of 47 (worse than 53% of alternatives) and show below-average growth (Growth Rank of 23) but are safely financed (Safety Rank of 68), which means low debt burdens. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 30, is a hold recommendation based on Clearwater Paper's financial characteristics. As the company Clearwater Paper's critical financial metrics exhibit below-average performance, such as low value (Obermatt Value Rank of 47) and low growth (Obermatt Growth Rank of 23), it is a somewhat questionable stock investment, where the risk of paying too much for the shares is significant, unless the company has an exceptionally bright future. In this case, good financing practices (Obermatt Safety Rank of 68) are a positive sign, because it may allow the company to weather challenging times until the hoped-for cash flows materialize. This may be true for high-tech or biotechnology companies with enough cash to sustain prolonged business development. If they own properties that only provide cash flows in the future, the stock may look excessively expensive and unattractive today. In such cases, the Obermatt Method has limited value, as it is based on facts we can observe today. If the facts lie all in the future, stock investing becomes guesswork, and this should only be a driver in a limited number of investments that account for a small fraction of a safe portfolio. Obermatt Premium subscribers can further check the stock’s Sentiment Ranks, which also flow into the Obermatt 360° View for investors. ...read more
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360° Viewnew| Country | USA |
| Industry | Paper Products |
| Index | Low Emissions, Renewables Users |
| Size class | Small |
31-Jul-2025. Stock data may be delayed. Log in or sign up to get the most recent research.
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Review the performance ranks of the individual metrics that form each investment strategy.
Research History: Clearwater Paper
| RESEARCH HISTORY | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VALUE | ||||||||
| VALUE | 49 |
|
76 |
|
43 |
|
47 |
|
| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 51 |
|
73 |
|
15 |
|
23 |
|
| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 63 |
|
58 |
|
96 |
|
68 |
|
| SENTIMENT | ||||||||
| SENTIMENT | 15 |
|
51 |
|
35 |
|
new |
|
| 360° VIEW | ||||||||
| 360° VIEW | 43 |
|
94 |
|
37 |
|
new |
|
Combined financial peformance in Detail
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 30 (worse than 70% compared with investment alternatives), Clearwater Paper (Paper Products, USA) shares have somewhat below-average financial characteristics compared with similar stocks. Shares of Clearwater Paper are low in value (priced high) with a consolidated Value Rank of 47 (worse than 53% of alternatives) and show below-average growth (Growth Rank of 23) but are safely financed (Safety Rank of 68), which means low debt burdens. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 30, is a hold recommendation based on Clearwater Paper's financial characteristics. As the company Clearwater Paper's critical financial metrics exhibit below-average performance, such as low value (Obermatt Value Rank of 47) and low growth (Obermatt Growth Rank of 23), it is a somewhat questionable stock investment, where the risk of paying too much for the shares is significant, unless the company has an exceptionally bright future. In this case, good financing practices (Obermatt Safety Rank of 68) are a positive sign, because it may allow the company to weather challenging times until the hoped-for cash flows materialize. This may be true for high-tech or biotechnology companies with enough cash to sustain prolonged business development. If they own properties that only provide cash flows in the future, the stock may look excessively expensive and unattractive today. In such cases, the Obermatt Method has limited value, as it is based on facts we can observe today. If the facts lie all in the future, stock investing becomes guesswork, and this should only be a driver in a limited number of investments that account for a small fraction of a safe portfolio. Obermatt Premium subscribers can further check the stock’s Sentiment Ranks, which also flow into the Obermatt 360° View for investors. ...read more
| RESEARCH HISTORY | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VALUE | ||||||||
| VALUE | 49 |
|
76 |
|
43 |
|
47 |
|
| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 51 |
|
73 |
|
15 |
|
23 |
|
| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 63 |
|
58 |
|
96 |
|
68 |
|
| COMBINED | ||||||||
| COMBINED | 51 |
|
96 |
|
44 |
|
30 |
|
Value Metrics in Detail
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Value Rank of 47 (worse than 53% compared with alternatives), Clearwater Paper shares are more expensive than the average comparable stock. The Value Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with three out of four indicators above average for Clearwater Paper. Price-to-Sales (P/S) is 81, which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future sales is lower than for 81% of comparable companies, indicating a good value regarding Clearwater Paper's revenue size. The same is valid for expected Price to Profits (or Price / Earnings, P/E), more favorable than for 50% of alternatives, and it's also true for the Price-to-Book Capital ratio (also referred to as market-to-book ratio) with a Price-to-Capital Rank of 82. But, compared with other companies in the same industry, dividend yields are expected to be lower than average; only 1% of all competitors have even lower dividend yields than Clearwater Paper (a Dividend Yield Rank of 1). 99% alternative investments in the same business provide a higher dividend yield. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Value Rank of 47, is a hold recommendation based on Clearwater Paper's stock price compared with the company's operational size and dividend yields. The below-average dividend yield may be a good sign, as it could mean the company has more attractive investment opportunities for the generated cash than to pay it out as dividends. A low dividend yield can also indicate a growth phase. We recommend further analyzing the stock with Obermatt’s Value, Safety, and Sentiment Ranks, including the 360° View, before making an investment decision. ...read more
| VALUE METRICS | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PRICE VS. REVENUES (P/S) | ||||||||
| PRICE VS. REVENUES (P/S) | 95 |
|
91 |
|
88 |
|
81 |
|
| PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E) | ||||||||
| PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E) | 49 |
|
97 |
|
24 |
|
50 |
|
| PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book) | ||||||||
| PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book) | 80 |
|
83 |
|
92 |
|
82 |
|
| DIVIDEND YIELD | ||||||||
| DIVIDEND YIELD | 1 |
|
1 |
|
1 |
|
1 |
|
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE | 49 |
|
76 |
|
43 |
|
47 |
|
Growth Metrics in Detail
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Growth Rank of 23 (better than 23% compared with alternatives), Clearwater Paper shows one of the most restricted growth dynamics in its industry. There is little momentum in this company. The Growth Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with three out of four metrics below average for Clearwater Paper. While Profit Growth has a good rank of 75, as professionals currently expect the company to grow its profits more than 75% of its competitors, all other growth indicators are below market averages. Sales Growth has a rank of 10, which means that currently professionals expect the company to grow less than 90% of its competitors, while Capital Growth has a rank of 49 and Stock Returns have been below market median, with a rank of 9 (91% of alternative investments were better). ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Growth Rank of 23, is a sell recommendation for growth and momentum investors. While revenue growth and capital growth are good growth momentum indicators, profit is less reliable, because profits may increase due to cost-cutting measures which typically indicate negative growth momentum. "You can save a dollar only once" is the saying about such situations. Growth Investors should look at company priorities closely if they are interested in growth, because the increase in profits is not usually an indicator of growth, and stock prices have been below market, too. While momentum is a popular investment factor, the value aspect might be the more important one, in the longer term. We recommend analyzing the stock with Obermatt’s Value, Safety, and Sentiment Ranks to arrive at a 360° View of the stock purchase case, especially since the growth performance is limited here. ...read more
| GROWTH METRICS | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| REVENUE GROWTH | ||||||||
| REVENUE GROWTH | 81 |
|
14 |
|
1 |
|
10 |
|
| PROFIT GROWTH | ||||||||
| PROFIT GROWTH | 7 |
|
94 |
|
90 |
|
75 |
|
| CAPITAL GROWTH | ||||||||
| CAPITAL GROWTH | 98 |
|
93 |
|
32 |
|
49 |
|
| STOCK RETURNS | ||||||||
| STOCK RETURNS | 15 |
|
31 |
|
15 |
|
9 |
|
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH | 51 |
|
73 |
|
15 |
|
23 |
|
Safety Metrics in Detail
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Safety Rank of 68 (better than 68% compared with alternatives), the company Clearwater Paper has financing practices on the safer side, which mean that their overall debt burden is lower than average. This doesn't mean that the business of Clearwater Paper is safe, it only means that the company is on the safer side regarding possible bankruptcy, assuming that public reporting is correct. The Safety Rank is based on consolidating three financing indicators where two out of three are above average for Clearwater Paper.Leverage is at 76, meaning the company has a below-average debt-to-equity ratio. It has less debt than 76% of its competitors.Refinancing is at a rank of 77, meaning that the portion of the debt that is about to be refinanced is below average. It has less debt in the refinancing stage than 77% of its competitors. Liquidity is at 8, meaning that the company generates less profit to service its debt than 92% of its competitors. This indicates that the company is on the riskier side regarding debt service. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Safety Rank of 68 (better than 68% compared with alternatives), Clearwater Paper has a financing structure that is safer than that of its competitors. Low leverage and low refinancing risk mean a safer financing situation. However, low liquidity means that current company cash flows are low in relation to the level of debt. This is a sign of caution in case it is expected for profits to remain low. Investors should compare Obermatt’s Value, Growth, and Sentiment Ranks before deciding. They may also want to investigate why cash flows are expected to be low, making debt service for Clearwater Paper more challenging. ...read more
| SAFETY METRICS | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LEVERAGE | ||||||||
| LEVERAGE | 31 |
|
40 |
|
50 |
|
76 |
|
| REFINANCING | ||||||||
| REFINANCING | 76 |
|
87 |
|
88 |
|
77 |
|
| LIQUIDITY | ||||||||
| LIQUIDITY | 36 |
|
20 |
|
3 |
|
8 |
|
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | 63 |
|
58 |
|
96 |
|
68 |
|
Sentiment Metrics in Detail
| SENTIMENT | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANALYST OPINIONS | ||||||||
| ANALYST OPINIONS | n/a |
|
13 |
|
93 |
|
new |
|
| OPINIONS CHANGE | ||||||||
| OPINIONS CHANGE | 9 |
|
50 |
|
2 |
|
new |
|
| PRO HOLDINGS | ||||||||
| PRO HOLDINGS | 71 |
|
81 |
|
16 |
|
new |
|
| MARKET PULSE | ||||||||
| MARKET PULSE | 40 |
|
63 |
|
58 |
|
new |
|
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT | 15 |
|
51 |
|
35 |
|
new |
|
Free stock analysis by the purely fact based Obermatt Method for Clearwater Paper from July 31, 2025.
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