Thurber v. Graphic Packaging Holding Company
On July 20, 2026, Labaton Keller Sucharow was appointed Lead Counsel in a securities class action against Graphic Packaging Holding Company (Graphic Packaging) and certain of its former executives (collectively, Defendants) in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.
Graphic Packaging and its subsidiaries design, produce, and sell consumer packaging products for businesses in the food, foodservice, beverage, household, and other consumer product industries in the Americas, Europe, and Asia Pacific. The action alleges that Defendants misled investors by touting the purported strength and sustainability of Graphic Packaging’s business model and operations—including its ability to deliver on cost and inventory reduction, free cash flow, and profitability goals—while concealing significant inventory management issues, materially reduced demand and volumes, and increased costs. In February 2025, Defendants issued full-year 2025 financial guidance projecting net sales of $8.7 billion to $8.9 billion, adjusted EBITDA of $1.68 billion to $1.78 billion, and adjusted EPS of $2.53 to $2.78, which was unreliable and unrealistic given the undisclosed adverse conditions.
Investors learned the truth through a series of corrective disclosures. On May 1, 2025, Graphic Packaging reported first quarter 2025 results that missed consensus estimates and slashed its full-year guidance, blaming a 2% volume decline and $80 million of input cost inflation. On this news, the price of Graphic Packaging stock fell 15.57%. On December 8, 2025, the Company announced accelerated inventory reduction plans with additional production curtailments and further cut its guidance, while simultaneously disclosing that CEO Michael P. Doss would step down effective December 31, 2025. On this news, the price of Graphic Packaging stock fell 8.66%. Then, on February 3, 2026, Graphic Packaging reported its fourth quarter 2025 results that again missed consensus estimates, projected a meaningful decline in 2026 adjusted EBITDA driven by a $130 million negative impact from inventory reduction actions, and announced a comprehensive review of its organizational structure and operations. On this news, the price of Graphic Packaging stock fell 15.97%.
The case is Thurber v. Graphic Packaging Holding Company, No. 1:26-cv-03790 (S.D.N.Y.). Labaton Keller Sucharow represents Lead Plaintiff Saskatchewan Healthcare Employees Pension Plan.