Traders Purchase Large Volume of Clearwater Paper Call Options (NYSE:CLW)

Clearwater Paper Corporation (NYSE:CLW) was the target of some unusual options trading on Tuesday. Stock traders acquired 5,097 call options on the company. This represents an increase of approximately 790% compared to the average volume of 573 call options.

Clearwater Paper Price Performance

CLW traded down $6.02 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $13.20. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 781,693 shares, compared to its average volume of 197,629. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $20.22 and its 200-day moving average price is $17.26. The company has a current ratio of 2.29, a quick ratio of 1.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45. The stock has a market cap of $212.92 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -4.34 and a beta of 0.33. Clearwater Paper has a 12 month low of $11.73 and a 12 month high of $23.59.

Clearwater Paper (NYSE:CLW) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, October 26th. The basic materials company reported ($0.23) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.16) by ($0.07). Clearwater Paper had a negative net margin of 3.24% and a negative return on equity of 7.95%. The company had revenue of $384.90 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $388.39 million. Sell-side analysts expect that Clearwater Paper will post -2.33 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently commented on CLW shares. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Clearwater Paper in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their target price on Clearwater Paper from $23.00 to $22.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday. Truist Financial cut their price target on Clearwater Paper from $20.00 to $17.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday. Bank of America increased their target price on Clearwater Paper from $24.00 to $25.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, September 11th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded shares of Clearwater Paper to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, July 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Clearwater Paper currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $19.67.

Institutional Trading of Clearwater Paper

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Group One Trading LLC bought a new position in shares of Clearwater Paper during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Quantbot Technologies LP purchased a new position in shares of Clearwater Paper during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Farther Finance Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Clearwater Paper by 110.7% during the 3rd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 2,069 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 1,087 shares during the period. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its stake in Clearwater Paper by 26.4% in the 2nd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 4,627 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $73,000 after acquiring an additional 965 shares during the period. Finally, Hsbc Holdings PLC purchased a new position in Clearwater Paper in the 2nd quarter valued at about $210,000. 89.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Clearwater Paper News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Clearwater Paper this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada maintained an “outperform” rating on CLW while lowering its price target from $23 to $22. The revised target still implies substantial upside from recent trading levels, signaling that RBC views the current weakness as excessive. Royal Bank of Canada Clearwater Paper rating
• Positive Sentiment: Third-quarter net loss narrowed sharply to approximately $1.6 million, or $0.10 per share, from a $53.3 million loss a year earlier. Clearwater also reduced net debt to $260.7 million from $316.7 million at the end of 2025 and completed a refinancing of its debt, improving its financial position. Clearwater Paper third-quarter results
• Neutral Sentiment: Options activity was unusually high, with traders purchasing 5,097 call contracts—about 790% above average daily call volume. The activity may indicate speculative bullish interest, but options flows alone do not establish a sustained change in investor sentiment.
• Negative Sentiment: Reported quarterly EPS of $(0.23) missed the $(0.16) consensus estimate, while revenue of $384.9 million was below expectations of $388.4 million. Sales also declined from $399.0 million a year earlier, primarily because of lower market pricing. Clearwater Paper reports third-quarter 2026 results
• Negative Sentiment: Disruptions at the Augusta mill persisted late in the quarter, reducing volumes and increasing costs. Sales volume fell 1% year over year to 322,265 tons, while the average paperboard selling price dropped 4% to $1,111 per ton. These issues likely explain why the stock has decreased despite the year-over-year improvement in losses. Clearwater Paper Augusta mill disruptions

About Clearwater Paper

Clearwater Paper Corporation is a manufacturer of bleached paperboard and pulp products. Its paperboard is used in packaging applications such as folding cartons, food and beverage packaging, and other consumer and industrial products. The company also produces pulp used in the manufacture of paper and tissue products.

Clearwater Paper primarily serves customers in North America, supplying packaging manufacturers, consumer-products companies, and other converters. Its operations have included paper mills in the United States, including facilities in Idaho and Arkansas, with products marketed to a range of food, beverage, household, and commercial markets.

The company was formed in 2008 through the separation of Potlatch Corporation’s pulp and paperboard businesses.