International Paper Company (NYSE:IP) Receives $43.73 Consensus PT from Analysts

Shares of International Paper Company (NYSE:IP) have been assigned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the fourteen research firms that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, three have given a hold recommendation and nine have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $43.7250.

Several analysts recently issued reports on IP shares. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price target on International Paper from $51.80 to $50.70 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded International Paper from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and boosted their price target for the company from $38.00 to $39.00 in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their price target on International Paper from $48.00 to $45.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, May 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on International Paper from $46.00 to $43.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded International Paper from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 23rd.

International Paper Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE IP opened at $33.66 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.21, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. The company has a market capitalization of $17.82 billion, a P/E ratio of -5.29 and a beta of 0.96. International Paper has a 12 month low of $29.26 and a 12 month high of $56.13. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $33.76 and a 200-day moving average of $38.37.

International Paper (NYSE:IP) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The basic materials company reported $0.15 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.18 by ($0.03). The business had revenue of $5.97 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.02 billion. International Paper had a negative net margin of 13.42% and a negative return on equity of 0.49%. The firm’s revenue was up 13.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.17 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that International Paper will post 1.38 EPS for the current year.

International Paper Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 12th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 22nd will be paid a dividend of $0.4625 per share. This represents a $1.85 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.5%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 22nd. International Paper’s dividend payout ratio is presently -29.09%.

Insider Transactions at International Paper

In other news, Director Anders Gustafsson acquired 13,217 shares of International Paper stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 12th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $37.83 per share, for a total transaction of $499,999.11. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 26,092 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $987,060.36. This represents a 102.66% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Scott Tozier purchased 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 1st. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $31.30 per share, with a total value of $313,000.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 10,025 shares in the company, valued at $313,782.50. This represents a 40,000.00% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have acquired 36,092 shares of company stock worth $1,313,064 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.21% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On International Paper

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. MCF Advisors LLC increased its holdings in International Paper by 36.7% in the 4th quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 853 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 229 shares in the last quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC boosted its position in shares of International Paper by 4.2% during the 4th quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 5,993 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $236,000 after purchasing an additional 242 shares in the last quarter. International Private Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in International Paper by 4.1% in the fourth quarter. International Private Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 6,175 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $243,000 after acquiring an additional 243 shares in the last quarter. Independent Advisor Alliance boosted its holdings in International Paper by 3.3% in the fourth quarter. Independent Advisor Alliance now owns 7,750 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $305,000 after acquiring an additional 244 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Horizon Investments LLC lifted its holdings in shares of International Paper by 3.3% in the fourth quarter. Horizon Investments LLC now owns 8,456 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $333,000 after purchasing an additional 267 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.95% of the company’s stock.

International Paper Company Profile

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.