Sealed Air (SEE) Soars to 52‑Week High as Clayton Dubilier & Rice Weighs Take‑Private Deal

Sealed Air Corporation (NYSE: SEE), maker of Bubble Wrap, jumped to a 52‑week high on November 13, 2025, as private‑equity firm Clayton Dubilier & Rice reportedly explores a take‑private deal. Here’s what’s driving SEE stock today, including fresh buyout rumors, Q3 2025 earnings, analyst targets, and key risks.

Sealed Air Corporation (NYSE: SEE) is suddenly one of Wall Street’s hottest tickers.

The packaging company behind Bubble Wrap and Cryovac is rallying sharply today after multiple reports that private‑equity giant Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (CD&R) is exploring a takeover that could take Sealed Air private.

By late morning on Thursday, SEE shares had hit a new 52‑week high of about $44.18 and were trading around $44.22, extending gains that began in last night’s after‑hours session. ^[1]

At the same time, investors are digesting better‑than‑expected Q3 2025 results and a raised full‑year outlook from earlier this month, which have set the stage for today’s explosive move. ^[2]

Why Sealed Air (SEE) Stock Is Surging Today

1. Buyout talks with Clayton, Dubilier & Rice

Multiple outlets report that CD&R is in early discussions to acquire Sealed Air:

Private Equity Insights says CD&R has held preliminary talks with Sealed Air about a potential acquisition, with sources suggesting a buyer might later split the Food and Protective packaging divisions to unlock value. ^[3]
Stocktwits notes that a Wall Street Journal report on Wednesday night said CD&R is in talks to take the company private, sending SEE up about 21.6% in the after‑market session. ^[4]
GuruFocus reports that Sealed Air is “in talks” with CD&R about going private, and that some analysts see potential equity value in the $50–$60 per share range, though no formal offer has been announced. ^[5]

So far:

No official deal terms have been disclosed.
Both CD&R and Sealed Air have declined to comment, according to Private Equity Insights and other coverage. ^[6]

That means today’s move is being driven by rumors and early‑stage talks, not a signed merger agreement.

2. SEE stock hits a 52‑week high

According to Investing.com, SEE shares: ^[7]

Touched a new 52‑week high of $44.18
Were recently trading around $44.22
Are up about 15.4% over the past six months
Trade on roughly 13.7× earnings (P/E ≈ 13.75)
Offer a dividend yield of about 2.2%, with 20 consecutive years of dividend payments

Today’s rally also follows last night’s after‑hours surge:

Stocktwits reports SEE jumped 21.6% after hours on Wednesday following the first buyout headlines, marking what would be its best performance since March 2020 if the move held into Thursday’s regular session. ^[8]

Separately, TipRanks notes that SEE’s year‑to‑date price performance was around 9.6% before today’s spike, with average daily volume of ~1.6 million shares and a “Hold” technical sentiment signal. ^[9]

3. Strong Q3 2025 results and raised guidance

Behind the buyout chatter is a company that just delivered better‑than‑expected earnings:

According to Sealed Air’s Q3 2025 results press release: ^[10]

Net sales: ~$1.35 billion, up ~0.5% year‑on‑year
GAAP net earnings: ~$186 million, more than double the ~$89 million reported a year earlier
GAAP diluted EPS:$1.26, up from $0.61 in Q3 2024
Adjusted EBITDA: ~$287 million (about 21.3% margin), up around 4% year‑on‑year
Adjusted EPS:$0.87, versus $0.79 last year (about 10% growth)

Sealed Air also raised its full‑year 2025 guidance:

Net sales: now expected around $5.28–$5.33 billion
Adjusted EBITDA:$1.12–$1.14 billion
Adjusted EPS:$3.25–$3.35, up from a prior range centered on ~$3.10
Free cash flow: unchanged at $350–$450 million ^[11]

The company highlighted:

Stabilizing volumes in the Protective segment after several weak quarters
Mostly flat sales in Food, with strength in foodservice offset by softer industrial and retail demand
Ongoing deleveraging, with total debt down to about $4.2 billion and net leverage ~3.5× Adjusted EBITDA as of September 30, 2025 ^[12]

Investing.com also notes that Sealed Air beat analysts’ Q3 expectations, delivering adjusted EPS of $0.87 vs. a consensus of roughly $0.70 and revenue of $1.35 billion vs. $1.31 billion expected, which helped support the recent uptrend in the stock. ^[13]

What a CD&R Take‑Private Could Mean for Sealed Air

A potential breakup of Food and Protective

Private Equity Insights reports that any buyer might consider splitting Sealed Air’s Food and Protective packaging divisions, according to people familiar with the talks. ^[14]

That idea fits with long‑running investor pressure:

The Food segment — which includes well‑known Cryovac and related brands — has generally been the stronger earnings driver. ^[15]
The Protective segment, home to Bubble Wrap, Instapak foam and e‑commerce packaging, has struggled with sluggish volumes, particularly in industrial equipment sales. Q3 2025 Protective sales fell about 1% as reported and ~3% in constant currency, even as margins improved on cost cuts. ^[16]

A take‑private deal could give management and CD&R more flexibility to restructure or potentially separate these businesses away from the short‑term scrutiny of public markets.

Possible valuation ranges – and why expectations are moving up

There is no agreed‑upon price, but a few reference points have emerged:

GuruFocus cites analyst estimates suggesting a possible takeover valuation between $50 and $60 per share, based on Sealed Air’s improving performance and margin profile. ^[17]
A separate analyst commentary highlighted by Seeking Alpha said Sealed Air may be worth the “mid‑$40s per share” in a takeover scenario, implying only a modest premium to where the stock traded after this morning’s jump. ^[18]
Investing.com notes that traditional Wall Street price targets currently range from $38 to $52, and that RBC Capital recently raised its target to $52 while maintaining an “Outperform” rating following the Q3 beat and guidance hike. ^[19]

GuruFocus pegs Sealed Air’s market capitalization at roughly $6.3 billion after today’s move, up from about $5.35 billion more recently quoted by other outlets. ^[20]

Any actual bid from CD&R (or a competing suitor) would have to reconcile:

Sealed Air’s improving earnings and raised outlook
Its still‑elevated leverage and cyclical exposure
The premium needed to win board and shareholder approval

Fundamentals Still Matter: A Look Under the Hood

Even with the takeover speculation dominating headlines, today’s rally is happening on top of a real shift in Sealed Air’s fundamentals.

Business profile

According to company filings and Reuters data, Sealed Air: ^[21]

Generated about $5.4 billion in sales in 2024
Earned roughly $265–270 million in net income that year
Operates through two main segments:
- Food – packaging for meat, poultry, seafood, liquids, cheese, and other foods (Cryovac and related solutions)
- Protective – cushioning, mailers, and automated systems for e‑commerce, industrial and logistics customers (including Bubble Wrap and Autobuf/Autobag‑type equipment)
Employs around 16,400 people and serves customers in 117 countries/territories

Q3 2025 segment performance

From Sealed Air’s detailed Q3 release: ^[22]

Food segment
- Net sales: ~$910 million (up about 1% as reported; flat in constant currency)
- Volumes were slightly down, with North American softness offset by share gains in EMEA
- Adjusted EBITDA rose about 4%, with margins improving to roughly 23.6%
Protective segment
- Net sales: ~$442 million, down ~1% as reported and about 3% in constant currency
- Volumes were down ~2%, mainly on weaker equipment sales in industrial markets
- Adjusted EBITDA grew about 3%, with margins improving to approximately 17.7% thanks to cost savings and productivity initiatives

Overall, management emphasized that Protective volumes turned positive on a materials basis for the first time since 2021, a key point for investors who had grown frustrated with that business. ^[23]

Balance sheet and leverage

Sealed Air remains highly leveraged, which is central to both the bull and bear cases:

Total debt: about $4.2 billion as of September 30, 2025
Net debt: about $3.9 billion after cash
Net leverage ratio: around 3.5× last‑twelve‑months Adjusted EBITDA, modestly better than 3.6× at year‑end 2024 ^[24]

GuruFocus calculates a debt‑to‑equity ratio of roughly 3.6 and an Altman Z‑Score around 1.9, putting Sealed Air in a “grey zone” that indicates some balance sheet risk but not imminent distress. ^[25]

For CD&R, that leverage is part of the appeal: private‑equity buyers often look for cash‑generative, asset‑light industrial businesses where operational improvements and deleveraging can drive strong returns. For public‑market investors, it’s a risk factor if buyout talks fizzle and macro conditions worsen.

How Wall Street Is Reacting

Analyst targets and sentiment

Recent commentary paints a mixed but improving picture:

RBC Capital boosted its price target from $48 to $52, keeping an Outperform rating thanks to cost savings, stronger margins, and the raised outlook. ^[26]
TipRanks summarizes overall sentiment as “moderately positive”, noting:
- YTD performance: ~9.6% gain pre‑rally
- “Hold” technical sentiment
- Current market cap around $5.35 billion (before today’s additional move). ^[27]
A Seeking Alpha news item highlighted one analyst’s view that Sealed Air could be worth the “mid‑$40s” per share in a takeover, which implies that some of today’s buyout premium may already be priced in. ^[28]

Trading action and retail sentiment

Stocktwits reports that retail sentiment on the SEE ticker had been “bearish”, even as message volume spiked to “high” following the buyout headlines. ^[29]
TipRanks flags elevated volatility and categorizes the current technical outlook as a Hold, reflecting uncertainty over how talks will unfold. ^[30]

In other words, professional and algorithmic money appears to be reacting aggressively to the merger scenario, while retail investors are still catching up or remaining cautious.

Key Questions and Risks for Investors

Whether you already own SEE or are just watching from the sidelines, today’s spike raises some big questions:

Will a formal bid actually emerge?
- Talks are described as preliminary, and both sides have declined to comment. There’s no guarantee CD&R will table an offer—or that Sealed Air’s board will accept it if they do. ^[31]
At what price?
- Speculation ranges from mid‑$40s per share to $50–$60 per share, but those are analyst and media estimates, not firm terms. ^[32]
Could another bidder appear—or could the deal fall apart?
- Packaging and industrial assets are popular with private equity, and CD&R has a history in the sector. But higher interest rates, regulatory scrutiny and deal financing constraints can derail even well‑advanced negotiations. ^[33]
What if Sealed Air stays public?
- The underlying fundamentals have improved: Q3 beat, better margins, and a higher earnings outlook. But the company still faces:
  - Soft industrial demand in Protective
  - Ongoing volume pressure in some end markets
  - A leveraged balance sheet that limits flexibility if the economy weakens ^[34]
How much buyout premium is already priced into SEE?
- After a surge to the mid‑$40s, the stock is now trading near or above some fundamental price targets, even before any confirmed bid. If no deal materializes—or if proposed terms disappoint—SEE could give back a meaningful portion of today’s gains. ^[35]

Snapshot: Sealed Air (SEE) Today

Company: Sealed Air Corporation (NYSE: SEE)
Industry: Packaging & Containers
Headquarters: Charlotte, North Carolina

Key brands: Bubble Wrap, Cryovac, Liquibox, Autobag, Instapak ^[36]

Latest highlights (as of November 13, 2025):

Share price: Around $44 intraday, a 52‑week high ^[37]
Market cap: Roughly $5.3–$6.3 billion, depending on the exact intraday level ^[38]
Dividend yield: ~2.2%, with a 20‑year dividend history ^[39]
Q3 2025 adjusted EPS:$0.87 (vs. ~$0.70 expected) ^[40]
2025 Adjusted EPS guidance:$3.25–$3.35 ^[41]
Net leverage: About 3.5× Adjusted EBITDA ^[42]
Takeover angle: CD&R exploring a take‑private deal; no binding offer disclosed ^[43]

Bottom Line

On November 13, 2025, Sealed Air has become a classic “event‑driven” story:

Short‑term: SEE is trading like a deal stock, with price action dominated by headlines about CD&R’s possible bid.
Medium‑term: Even if no transaction occurs, the company now has stronger earnings momentum, improved segment margins, and a higher 2025 outlook than it did a few quarters ago.
Long‑term: Debt levels, cyclicality in industrial and e‑commerce demand, and execution in the Protective segment remain crucial swing factors.

For now, investors will be watching closely for any formal announcement from Sealed Air or CD&R, regulatory filings, or further analyst commentary that could firm up expectations around price and deal structure.

Disclosure: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice, a recommendation to buy or sell any security, or a guarantee of future performance. Always do your own research or consult a licensed financial professional before making investment decisions.

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