International Paper Company (NYSE:IP) Receives $43.73 Average Price Target from Brokerages

Shares of International Paper Company (NYSE:IP) have earned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the fourteen research firms that are covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $43.7250.

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on IP shares. UBS Group cut their target price on shares of International Paper from $40.00 to $32.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft started coverage on International Paper in a research note on Wednesday, April 1st. They issued a “hold” rating and a $38.00 price target for the company. Weiss Ratings cut International Paper from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “sell (d)” rating in a research note on Monday, April 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on International Paper from $46.00 to $43.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Citigroup decreased their target price on International Paper from $44.00 to $36.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 1st.

Insider Buying and Selling at International Paper

In other International Paper news, Director Scott Tozier bought 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, May 1st. The stock was purchased at an average price of $31.30 per share, for a total transaction of $313,000.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 10,025 shares in the company, valued at approximately $313,782.50. This trade represents a 40,000.00% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Anders Gustafsson bought 13,217 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 12th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $37.83 per share, for a total transaction of $499,999.11. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 26,092 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $987,060.36. This trade represents a 102.66% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders have purchased 36,092 shares of company stock worth $1,313,064 over the last 90 days. 0.21% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On International Paper

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of IP. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in International Paper by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 64,357,913 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $2,535,058,000 after acquiring an additional 310,834 shares during the last quarter. Capital International Investors grew its holdings in shares of International Paper by 29.4% during the fourth quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 63,413,335 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $2,498,013,000 after purchasing an additional 14,422,616 shares during the last quarter. Capital Research Global Investors raised its position in shares of International Paper by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 54,535,444 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $2,148,154,000 after purchasing an additional 204,654 shares during the period. State Street Corp raised its position in shares of International Paper by 1.3% during the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 30,009,733 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $1,182,083,000 after purchasing an additional 397,673 shares during the period. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of International Paper by 81.6% in the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 14,832,952 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $584,270,000 after purchasing an additional 6,663,986 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 81.95% of the company’s stock.

International Paper Stock Down 1.7%

Shares of NYSE:IP opened at $32.48 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $17.20 billion, a PE ratio of -5.11 and a beta of 0.93. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $36.08 and a 200 day simple moving average of $39.53. The company has a current ratio of 1.21, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. International Paper has a 12-month low of $29.45 and a 12-month high of $56.13.

International Paper (NYSE:IP) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The basic materials company reported $0.15 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.18 by ($0.03). The company had revenue of $5.97 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.02 billion. International Paper had a negative net margin of 13.42% and a negative return on equity of 0.49%. The company’s revenue was up 13.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.17 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that International Paper will post 1.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

International Paper Company Profile

International Paper is a global producer of renewable fiber-based products, focused primarily on pulp, paper, and packaging. The company manufactures containerboard and corrugated packaging used for shipping and retail display, as well as a range of specialty papers and pulp products that serve industrial, consumer goods, and e-commerce customers. Its product portfolio is oriented toward large-scale packaging solutions, tissue and paper grades, and raw pulp for a variety of manufacturing uses.

Founded in 1898, International Paper is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, and is one of the largest and longest-established companies in the forest products sector.