Zacks Research Issues Pessimistic Outlook for IP Earnings

International Paper Company (NYSE:IP) – Stock analysts at Zacks Research cut their Q3 2026 earnings per share estimates for International Paper in a report released on Monday, August 31st. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the basic materials company will post earnings of $0.32 per share for the quarter, down from their prior estimate of $0.34. Zacks Research currently has a “Hold” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for International Paper’s current full-year earnings is $1.34 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for International Paper’s FY2026 earnings at $1.29 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $0.64 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $0.73 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $0.76 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $2.81 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at $0.76 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $3.52 EPS.

International Paper (NYSE:IP) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The basic materials company reported $0.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.04) by $0.08. The company had revenue of $6 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.19 billion. International Paper had a negative net margin of 14.20% and a negative return on equity of 1.09%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 11.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.20 earnings per share.

IP has been the subject of several other research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of International Paper from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and raised their price target for the company from $51.00 to $61.00 in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. Citigroup increased their price objective on International Paper from $43.00 to $48.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their target price on International Paper from $48.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Seaport Research Partners reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $46.00 price target on shares of International Paper in a research report on Wednesday, August 12th. Finally, UBS Group boosted their price objective on International Paper from $40.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $48.75.

International Paper Trading Down 3.4%

Shares of IP stock opened at $37.96 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57, a quick ratio of 0.84 and a current ratio of 1.10. The stock has a market capitalization of $20.10 billion, a P/E ratio of -5.82 and a beta of 0.94. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $39.64 and a 200 day moving average price of $37.67. International Paper has a fifty-two week low of $29.26 and a fifty-two week high of $50.25.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On International Paper

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of IP. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd purchased a new position in shares of International Paper during the first quarter worth about $249,000. Intech Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of International Paper by 100.5% in the 1st quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 32,025 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,709,000 after purchasing an additional 16,055 shares during the last quarter. Cresset Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of International Paper by 20.8% in the 2nd quarter. Cresset Asset Management LLC now owns 17,345 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $812,000 after purchasing an additional 2,981 shares during the last quarter. Jump Financial LLC boosted its position in shares of International Paper by 280.9% in the 2nd quarter. Jump Financial LLC now owns 38,092 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,784,000 after purchasing an additional 28,092 shares during the period. Finally, Cerity Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of International Paper by 8.0% in the 2nd quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 33,749 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,580,000 after purchasing an additional 2,493 shares during the period. 81.95% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity at International Paper

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

International Paper Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be given a dividend of $0.4625 per share. This represents a $1.85 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. International Paper’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -28.37%.

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.