Analysts Set International Paper Company (NYSE:IP) Price Target at $49.07

International Paper Company (NYSE:IP) has been given a consensus recommendation of “Hold” by the thirteen analysts that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $48.8909.

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus set a $57.80 price objective on shares of International Paper and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, October 17th. Argus dropped their price target on International Paper from $55.00 to $50.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Wall Street Zen lowered International Paper from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, October 18th. Zacks Research downgraded International Paper from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Finally, UBS Group lowered International Paper from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and cut their target price for the stock from $51.00 to $44.00 in a research note on Monday.

International Paper Trading Up 1.0%

Shares of IP stock opened at $40.72 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $21.50 billion, a PE ratio of -6.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.47 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a current ratio of 1.28. The business’s fifty day moving average is $40.29 and its 200 day moving average is $43.91. International Paper has a 52-week low of $35.56 and a 52-week high of $57.55.

International Paper (NYSE:IP) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The basic materials company reported ($0.08) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.28 by ($0.36). International Paper had a negative net margin of 14.12% and a negative return on equity of 0.35%. The business had revenue of $6.01 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.90 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted ($0.02) EPS. The business’s revenue was up 53.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that International Paper will post 2.77 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other International Paper news, CEO Andrew K. Silvernail bought 50,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 30th. The shares were bought at an average price of $39.98 per share, for a total transaction of $1,999,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 50,000 shares in the company, valued at $1,999,000. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, SVP Clay R. Ellis sold 18,819 shares of International Paper stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $36.85, for a total value of $693,480.15. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.35% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of International Paper

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in International Paper by 0.5% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 64,357,913 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $2,535,058,000 after purchasing an additional 310,834 shares during the period. Capital Research Global Investors raised its position in shares of International Paper by 7.5% in the 3rd quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 54,330,790 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $2,520,945,000 after acquiring an additional 3,768,772 shares in the last quarter. Capital International Investors grew its stake in International Paper by 51.4% in the third quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 48,990,719 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $2,272,966,000 after purchasing an additional 16,622,062 shares during the period. State Street Corp lifted its position in International Paper by 0.8% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 29,612,060 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,374,000,000 after buying an additional 225,444 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its stake in shares of International Paper by 9.3% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 18,737,896 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $877,496,000 after acquiring an additional 1,592,411 shares in the last quarter. 81.95% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.