Zacks Research Has Pessimistic Outlook of IP Q3 Earnings

International Paper Company (NYSE:IP) – Equities researchers at Zacks Research reduced their Q3 2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of International Paper in a note issued to investors on Monday, July 27th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the basic materials company will post earnings of $0.48 per share for the quarter, down from their previous estimate of $0.51. Zacks Research currently has a “Hold” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for International Paper’s current full-year earnings is $1.39 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for International Paper’s Q4 2026 earnings at $0.75 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $1.34 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $0.58 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $0.66 EPS and Q3 2027 earnings at $0.71 EPS.

Other research analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Truist Financial raised their price objective on shares of International Paper from $40.00 to $46.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. UBS Group cut their target price on shares of International Paper from $40.00 to $32.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of International Paper from $39.00 to $42.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price target on shares of International Paper from $45.00 to $48.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of International Paper in a research note on Friday. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, International Paper has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $44.31.

International Paper Stock Up 0.4%

Shares of NYSE:IP opened at $42.33 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 1.21 and a quick ratio of 0.94. The firm has a market capitalization of $22.41 billion, a PE ratio of -6.66 and a beta of 0.94. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $35.92 and its two-hundred day moving average is $37.98. International Paper has a 1 year low of $29.26 and a 1 year high of $56.13.

International Paper (NYSE:IP) last posted its earnings results 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 for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.02 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.17 EPS. International Paper’s revenue was up 13.4% on a year-over-year basis.

International Paper Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed 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. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. This represents a $1.85 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.4%. International Paper’s payout ratio is currently -29.09%.

Insider Buying and Selling at International Paper

In other news, Director Scott Tozier bought 10,000 shares of International Paper stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 1st. The shares were purchased at an average price of $31.30 per share, with a total value of $313,000.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 10,025 shares in the company, valued at $313,782.50. The trade was a 40,000.00% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 0.21% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

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

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.