Does Smurfit Westrock have an economic moat?
Not clearly
Smurfit Westrock earns 6.0% a year on the money invested in it, a return competitors could match.
The numbers behind it
Return on invested capital, average of recent years6.0%
Return on invested capital, latest year2.2%
Gross margin19.4%Share of each sale left after production costs
Net margin2.2%
How we decide
A moat shows up in the numbers as high returns that last. We call it likely when the average return on invested capital over recent years is at least 15% and the gross margin at least 40%, and possible from 10%. The numbers can't show where a moat comes from (brand, network, patents), only that one seems to exist.
More questions about Smurfit Westrock
Data as of Nov 13, 2026.