Zacks Research Brokers Lower Earnings Estimates for IP

International Paper Company (NYSE:IP) – Zacks Research decreased their Q2 2026 earnings per share estimates for shares of International Paper in a report released on Friday, March 13th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the basic materials company will post earnings per share of $0.46 for the quarter, down from their previous estimate of $0.49. Zacks Research has a “Strong Sell” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for International Paper’s current full-year earnings is $2.77 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for International Paper’s Q3 2026 earnings at $0.57 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $0.56 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $0.76 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $3.49 EPS.

Several other brokerages have also commented on IP. Citigroup lifted their price objective on International Paper from $46.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on International Paper from $47.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Stifel Nicolaus cut 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. Truist Financial set a $48.00 price objective on shares of International Paper in a research note on Thursday, February 26th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane raised shares of International Paper from a “strong sell” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $44.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Monday, November 24th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $48.25.

International Paper Trading Up 0.8%

NYSE:IP opened at $37.56 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $19.89 billion, a PE ratio of -5.60 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a current ratio of 1.28, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $43.11 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $42.73. International Paper has a 12 month low of $35.45 and a 12 month high of $56.64.

International Paper (NYSE:IP) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The basic materials company reported ($0.08) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.28 by ($0.36). International Paper had a negative return on equity of 0.35% and a negative net margin of 14.12%.The company had revenue of $6.01 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.90 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned ($0.02) earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 53.1% compared to the same quarter last year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On International Paper

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. MCF Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of International Paper by 36.7% during the 4th quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 853 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 229 shares in the last quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC grew its holdings in shares of International Paper by 4.2% in the fourth 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 increased its position 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 purchasing an additional 243 shares during the last quarter. Independent Advisor Alliance increased its position 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 purchasing an additional 244 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Atalanta Sosnoff Capital LLC raised its stake in International Paper by 3.8% during the second quarter. Atalanta Sosnoff Capital LLC now owns 6,759 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $317,000 after purchasing an additional 245 shares in the last quarter. 81.95% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Anders Gustafsson purchased 13,217 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 12th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $37.83 per share, for a total transaction of $499,999.11. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 26,092 shares in the company, valued at $987,060.36. This trade represents a 102.66% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Andrew K. Silvernail acquired 50,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, January 30th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $39.98 per share, with a total value of $1,999,000.00. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer directly owned 50,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,999,000. The trade was a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders have acquired 76,092 shares of company stock valued at $2,999,064. Insiders own 0.55% 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.