Zacks Research Issues Optimistic Forecast for IP Earnings

International Paper Company (NYSE:IP) – Investment analysts at Zacks Research upped their Q4 2026 earnings estimates for International Paper in a research report issued on Tuesday, July 14th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the basic materials company will post earnings per share of $0.69 for the quarter, up from their previous forecast of $0.67. Zacks Research currently has a “Hold” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for International Paper’s current full-year earnings is $1.38 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for International Paper’s Q1 2027 earnings at $0.56 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $0.72 EPS and Q4 2027 earnings at $0.74 EPS.

International Paper (NYSE:IP) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The basic materials company reported $0.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.18 by ($0.03). International Paper had a negative return on equity of 0.49% and a negative net margin of 13.42%.The firm had revenue of $5.97 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.02 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.17 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 13.4% on a year-over-year basis.

IP has been the topic of a number of other research reports. UBS Group decreased their price objective on International Paper from $40.00 to $32.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, May 4th. Truist Financial reduced their target price on shares of International Paper from $48.00 to $44.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. BNP Paribas Exane dropped their price objective on shares of International Paper from $44.00 to $42.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, March 25th. Bank of America cut shares of International Paper from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $41.00 price objective for the company. in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of International Paper from $43.00 to $51.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $43.89.

International Paper Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:IP opened at $36.51 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 1.21 and a quick ratio of 0.94. International Paper has a 1 year low of $29.26 and a 1 year high of $56.13. The firm has a market capitalization of $19.33 billion, a PE ratio of -5.74 and a beta of 0.94. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $34.79 and its 200-day moving average price is $38.08.

Institutional Trading of International Paper

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. McIlrath & Eck LLC raised its position in shares of International Paper by 452.6% during the 4th quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC now owns 641 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 525 shares during the last quarter. MV Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in International Paper in the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Ascentis Independent Advisors purchased a new position in International Paper during the first quarter worth about $28,000. DV Equities LLC acquired a new stake in International Paper in the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. Finally, Sound Income Strategies LLC grew its holdings in International Paper by 94.0% in the 4th quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 710 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 344 shares during the period. 81.95% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Scott Tozier acquired 10,000 shares of International Paper stock in a transaction on Friday, May 1st. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $31.30 per share, with a total value of $313,000.00. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 10,025 shares in the company, valued at approximately $313,782.50. The trade was a 40,000.00% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.21% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

International Paper Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be issued a dividend of $0.4625 per share. This represents a $1.85 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.1%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. International Paper’s payout ratio is -29.09%.

Key Stories Impacting International Paper

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

• Positive Sentiment: International Paper declared a quarterly dividend of $0.4625 per share, reinforcing its income appeal for investors. International Paper Declares Quarterly Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised its Q4 2026 EPS estimate to $0.69 from $0.67 and upgraded the stock to hold, suggesting slightly improved earnings expectations. Zacks.com
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks Research nudged its Q1 2027 EPS estimate higher to $0.56 from $0.54, a small positive change with limited immediate stock impact.
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks Research slightly lowered its Q3 2027 and Q4 2027 EPS estimates, reflecting modestly softer longer-term profit expectations.
• Negative Sentiment: Bank of America downgraded International Paper from buy to neutral, which likely pressured the stock and signals reduced analyst enthusiasm. International Paper (NYSE:IP) Downgraded to Neutral Rating by Bank of America

About International Paper

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.