Q2 EPS Estimate for International Paper Reduced by Analyst

International Paper Company (NYSE:IP) – Equities researchers at Zacks Research cut their Q2 2026 EPS estimates for International Paper in a report released on Monday, July 27th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the basic materials company will post earnings of ($0.04) per share for the quarter, down from their prior estimate of ($0.02). Zacks Research currently has a “Hold” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for International Paper’s current full-year earnings is $1.40 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for International Paper’s Q1 2028 earnings at $0.73 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $3.35 EPS.

Several other equities analysts have also recently weighed in on the stock. Bank of America cut shares of International Paper from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $41.00 price target for the company. in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of International Paper in a report on Friday. Seaport Research Partners raised shares of International Paper from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $39.00 target price for the company in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Citigroup increased their price objective on shares of International Paper from $36.00 to $43.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on International Paper from $39.00 to $42.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, International Paper currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $46.36.

International Paper Trading Up 3.9%

Shares of IP opened at $44.05 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.94, a current ratio of 1.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. The firm has a market capitalization of $23.33 billion, a PE ratio of -6.93 and a beta of 0.94. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $36.21 and its 200-day simple moving average is $38.01. International Paper has a 12-month low of $29.26 and a 12-month high of $56.13.

International Paper (NYSE:IP) last released its quarterly earnings results 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). International Paper had a negative return on equity of 0.49% and a negative net margin of 13.42%.The business had revenue of $5.97 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.02 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.17 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 13.4% on a year-over-year basis.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. McIlrath & Eck LLC raised its stake in International Paper by 452.6% in the 4th quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC now owns 641 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 525 shares during the period. MV Capital Management Inc. purchased a new stake in International Paper in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Ascentis Independent Advisors bought a new position in International Paper in the 1st quarter valued at $28,000. DV Equities LLC purchased a new position in shares of International Paper during the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, Sound Income Strategies LLC grew its position in shares of International Paper by 94.0% during the 4th quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 710 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 344 shares in the last quarter. 81.95% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at International Paper

In other International Paper news, Director Scott Tozier purchased 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 1st. The shares were bought at an average price of $31.30 per share, for a total transaction of $313,000.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director 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 purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 0.21% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

International Paper Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Stockholders 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 dividend yield of 4.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. International Paper’s dividend payout ratio is -29.09%.

Key International Paper News

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

• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan upgraded International Paper (IP) from “neutral” to “overweight” and raised its price target from $51 to $61. The firm cited an improving U.S. linerboard pricing cycle, which could support stronger margins and earnings. International Paper raised at JP Morgan on improving US linerboard pricing cycle
• Positive Sentiment: The JPMorgan target implies substantial upside from recent trading levels and helped reinforce the view that a recovery in pricing could improve International Paper’s financial performance. Why is International Paper stock soaring today?
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised its FY2026 EPS estimate to $1.34 from $1.32 and increased its Q4 2026 estimate to $0.75 from $0.69. These revisions suggest some improvement in expected near-term profitability, although Zacks maintained a “Hold” rating.
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks made mixed changes to its 2027 outlook, raising Q1 EPS to $0.58 from $0.56 while trimming Q2 EPS to $0.66 from $0.67 and Q3 EPS to $0.71 from $0.72. The overall full-year consensus remains $1.39 per share.
• Neutral Sentiment: International Paper’s CEO is scheduled to speak at the Jefferies 2026 Industrials Conference on September 10. The event could provide updates on strategy, demand and pricing, but no new company guidance was announced.
• Negative Sentiment: Unusually heavy put-option activity—16,246 contracts, roughly 341% above typical volume—signals increased hedging or bearish speculation. Options activity does not necessarily indicate that the underlying business outlook has deteriorated.
• Negative Sentiment: International Paper is approaching Q2 earnings with expectations for lower revenue and a projected loss, reflecting maintenance costs and pricing changes. Its prior quarter also missed both EPS and revenue estimates, adding execution risk ahead of the results.

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.