Traders Buy Large Volume of Put Options on International Paper (NYSE:IP)

International Paper Company (NYSE:IP) was the target of unusually large options trading activity on Tuesday. Traders acquired 16,246 put options on the stock. This is an increase of approximately 341% compared to the typical volume of 3,687 put options.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Loop Capital set a $61.00 price target on shares of International Paper in a research note on Tuesday. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price objective on shares of International Paper from $45.00 to $48.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d)” rating on shares of International Paper in a report on Friday. Zacks Research raised International Paper from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft began coverage on International Paper in a research report on Wednesday, April 1st. They set a “hold” rating and a $38.00 price target on the stock. 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. According to MarketBeat, International Paper presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $46.36.

Key Stories Impacting International Paper

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

• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan upgrade: JPMorgan raised International Paper from “neutral” to “overweight” and increased its price target from $51 to $61. The new target implies approximately 36.9% upside from the recently cited share price, signaling greater confidence in the company’s outlook and potential for share-price appreciation. Benzinga report
• Positive Sentiment: Some earnings estimates improved: Zacks Research raised its FY2026 EPS forecast to $1.34 from $1.32, its Q4 2026 estimate to $0.75 from $0.69, and its Q1 2027 estimate to $0.58 from $0.56. These revisions suggest modestly better expectations for near-term profitability. Zacks estimate report
• Neutral Sentiment: Management conference appearance: CEO Andy Silvernail is scheduled to speak at the Jefferies 2026 Industrials Conference on September 10. The event could provide updates on strategy and operating conditions, but no new financial information was announced. International Paper conference announcement
• Negative Sentiment: Other estimates were reduced: Zacks lowered its Q3 2026 EPS forecast to $0.48 from $0.51, Q2 2027 to $0.66 from $0.67, and Q3 2027 to $0.71 from $0.72. Zacks maintains a “Hold” rating, tempering the impact of the more favorable revisions.
• Negative Sentiment: Q2 earnings outlook remains weak: International Paper is expected to report lower revenue and a projected loss, as maintenance costs and pricing changes pressure results. This could limit the stock’s upside unless the company delivers better-than-expected results or guidance. International Paper Q2 earnings preview

International Paper Price Performance

Shares of NYSE IP traded up $1.92 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $44.33. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 2,659,018 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,776,680. International Paper has a one year low of $29.26 and a one year high of $56.13. The company has a market cap of $23.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -6.97 and a beta of 0.94. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $35.92 and a 200 day moving average price of $37.98. The company has a current ratio of 1.21, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55.

International Paper (NYSE:IP) last issued its 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 for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.02 billion. International Paper had a negative return on equity of 0.49% and a negative net margin of 13.42%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 13.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.17 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts expect that International Paper will post 1.39 EPS for the current year.

International Paper Announces Dividend

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 paid a dividend of $0.4625 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. This represents a $1.85 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.2%. International Paper’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently -29.09%.

Insider Transactions at International Paper

In related news, Director Scott Tozier bought 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 purchase, the director owned 10,025 shares in the company, valued at approximately $313,782.50. This represents a 40,000.00% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.21% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On International Paper

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. DNB Asset Management AS lifted its stake in International Paper by 144.2% during the fourth quarter. DNB Asset Management AS now owns 258,920 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $10,199,000 after buying an additional 152,907 shares in the last quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. boosted its holdings in shares of International Paper by 29.6% in the first quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 137,856 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $4,921,000 after buying an additional 31,518 shares during the period. Alpha Omega Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of International Paper in the fourth quarter worth approximately $1,539,000. AE Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of International Paper by 12.8% in the fourth quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC now owns 374,851 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $14,765,000 after acquiring an additional 42,541 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of International Paper during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $250,093,000. 81.95% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.