International Paper (NYSE:IP) Shares Gap Up – Still a Buy?

International Paper Company (NYSE:IP)’s stock price gapped up prior to trading on Thursday. The stock had previously closed at $31.90, but opened at $33.25. International Paper shares last traded at $33.7550, with a volume of 1,016,485 shares traded.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages recently commented on IP. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on International Paper from $61.00 to $62.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on International Paper from $46.00 to $42.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, October 7th. Citigroup reduced their price objective on International Paper from $48.00 to $47.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 2nd. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price objective on International Paper from $48.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, July 31st. Finally, Loop Capital set a $61.00 target price on International Paper in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $46.90.

International Paper Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 1.10 and a quick ratio of 0.84. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $36.51 and a 200-day simple moving average of $36.03. The firm has a market capitalization of $18.15 billion, a PE ratio of -5.26, a P/E/G ratio of 4.14 and a beta of 0.93.

International Paper (NYSE:IP) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The basic materials company reported $0.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.04) by $0.08. The business had revenue of $6 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.19 billion. International Paper had a negative return on equity of 1.09% and a negative net margin of 14.20%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 11.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.20 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that International Paper Company will post 1.28 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

International Paper Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 15th. Investors of record on Monday, November 16th will be issued a dividend of $0.4625 per share. This represents a $1.85 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.4%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 16th. International Paper’s dividend payout ratio is presently -28.37%.

Insider Buying and Selling at International Paper

In related news, VP William Hamic sold 24,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $41.20, for a total value of $1,009,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 106,952 shares in the company, valued at $4,406,422.40. This trade represents a 18.64% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Holly G. Goughnour sold 3,500 shares of International Paper stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $41.96, for a total transaction of $146,860.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 34,248 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,437,046.08. The trade was a 9.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate insiders own 0.21% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On International Paper

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in IP. MV Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in International Paper during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Aberdeen Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in International Paper in the 2nd quarter worth about $27,000. Ascentis Independent Advisors bought a new stake in International Paper in the first quarter worth about $28,000. Delta Asset Management LLC TN bought a new stake in International Paper in the second quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB bought a new stake in International Paper in the third quarter worth about $31,000. Institutional investors own 81.95% of the company’s stock.

About International Paper

International Paper (NYSE: IP) is a global producer of sustainable packaging, pulp and paper products. The company manufactures corrugated packaging, containerboard and other fiber-based packaging solutions used to protect, transport and display goods, along with market pulp and specialty paper products.

Founded in 1898, International Paper has developed operations serving customers across North America and Europe. Its activities also include recycling and the recovery of fiber used in paper and packaging production, supporting the company’s focus on renewable and recyclable materials.

International Paper completed its combination with DS Smith in 2025, expanding its geographic reach and packaging capabilities.