Clearwater Ranked 36th on MSSP Alert's 2025 Top Global MSSPs List
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Jan 06 2026
0mins
Should l Buy CLW?
Source: Yahoo Finance
- Ranking Improvement: Clearwater's ascent to 36th place on MSSP Alert's 2025 Top Global MSSPs list highlights strong growth in its managed security services, reflecting increased client trust, particularly in the healthcare and defense sectors.
- Rising Client Demand: As cyber threats intensify, demand for Clearwater's Managed Security Services (MSS) is surging, especially among organizations in highly regulated environments, showcasing the company's market leadership in complex compliance-driven industries.
- Service Innovation: Clearwater's offerings, including continuous monitoring, threat detection and response, and cloud security, enable clients to enhance their security posture while meeting regulatory obligations, further solidifying its competitive advantage in the industry.
- Team Recognition: President Baxter Lee emphasized that the dedication of the team and the trust of clients are key to the company's continued rise, and this recognition not only enhances brand image but also strengthens customer loyalty.
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Analyst Views on CLW
Wall Street analysts forecast CLW stock price to rise
2 Analyst Rating
2 Buy
0 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 14.990
Low
25.00
Averages
27.50
High
30.00
Current: 14.990
Low
25.00
Averages
27.50
High
30.00
About CLW
Clearwater Paper Corporation is an independent supplier of solid bleached sulfate (SBS) paperboard packaging products to North American converters. The Company produces quality paperboards that provides sustainable packaging solutions for consumer goods and food service applications. The Company operates through Pulp and Paperboard segment. It supplies bleached paperboard to quality-conscious printers and packaging converters, and offers services that include custom sheeting, slitting and cutting. SBS paperboard is a premium paperboard grade that is used to produce folding cartons (also includes blister and carded packaging and top sheet), food service (including liquid packaging, cups and plates) and commercial printing items. It produces paperboard that is then converted and printed by independent converters and primarily used in folding carton and food service applications. Food service paperboard includes both liquid packaging and cup and plate categories.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- Performance Growth and Challenges: Clearwater Paper reported a 12% year-over-year increase in net sales to $386 million for 2025, primarily driven by full-year operations at the Augusta mill, yet faces pricing and margin pressures due to industry supply-demand imbalances.
- Significant Cost Control Success: Adjusted EBITDA reached $20 million, improving by $71 million from the previous year, attributed to exceptional cost management, with SG&A expenses reduced to 6.5% of net sales, demonstrating effective operational efficiency.
- Cautious Future Outlook: The company expects adjusted EBITDA to be approximately breakeven for Q1 2026 due to operational disruptions and $15 million to $20 million in incremental costs from severe weather, highlighting vulnerabilities in its financial outlook amid ongoing challenges.
- Strategic Investments and Product Launch: Clearwater plans to launch a new lightweight paperboard product line, Valora, in Q2, and has completed engineering feasibility for a $60 million investment at Cypress Bend, aiming to capture 100,000 to 150,000 tons of market demand.
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- Earnings Announcement Date: Clearwater Paper is set to release its Q4 earnings on February 18, with a consensus EPS estimate of -$0.54, reflecting a staggering 104.5% year-over-year decline, indicating significant profitability challenges for the company.
- Revenue Decline Forecast: The anticipated revenue for Q4 stands at $368 million, representing a 23.8% year-over-year drop, which highlights weak market demand and industry challenges that could negatively impact future cash flow and investment capacity.
- Historical Performance Review: Over the past year, Clearwater Paper has beaten EPS estimates 75% of the time and revenue estimates 75% of the time, indicating relative stability in financial forecasting, yet the recent downward revisions raise concerns about future performance.
- Forecast Revision Trends: In the last three months, there have been no upward revisions to EPS estimates and one downward revision, with revenue estimates also seeing no upward revisions and one downward revision, suggesting a waning analyst confidence in the company's future outlook, which may affect investor sentiment.
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