International Paper Company (NYSE:IP – Free Report) – Zacks Research dropped their Q2 2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for International Paper in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday, July 27th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the basic materials company will earn ($0.04) per share for the quarter, down from their previous forecast of ($0.02). Zacks Research has a “Hold” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for International Paper’s current full-year earnings is $1.40 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for International Paper’s Q1 2028 earnings at $0.73 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $3.35 EPS.
Several other research analysts also recently issued reports on the stock. Bank of America downgraded shares of International Paper from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $41.00 target price on the stock. in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d)” rating on shares of International Paper in a research report on Friday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft initiated coverage on shares of International Paper in a report on Wednesday, April 1st. They issued a “hold” rating and a $38.00 price objective for the company. Truist Financial increased their target price on International Paper from $40.00 to $46.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised International Paper from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $51.00 to $61.00 in a report on Tuesday. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $46.36.
International Paper Stock Performance
Shares of IP stock opened at $44.05 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $23.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -6.93 and a beta of 0.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a current ratio of 1.21. International Paper has a one year low of $29.26 and a one year high of $56.13. The company’s 50-day moving average is $36.21 and its 200 day moving average is $38.01.
International Paper (NYSE:IP – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly 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). The company had revenue of $5.97 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.02 billion. International Paper had a negative return on equity of 0.49% and a negative net margin of 13.42%.International Paper’s revenue for the quarter was up 13.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.17 EPS.
International Paper Dividend Announcement
The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Investors 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 yield of 4.2%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. International Paper’s payout ratio is -29.09%.
Insider Transactions at International Paper
In other International Paper news, Director Scott Tozier purchased 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 1st. The shares were bought at an average cost of $31.30 per share, with a total value of $313,000.00. Following the acquisition, the director owned 10,025 shares in the company, valued at approximately $313,782.50. This trade represents a 40,000.00% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Insiders own 0.21% of the company’s stock.
Hedge Funds Weigh In On International Paper
A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of IP. DNB Asset Management AS grew its stake in International Paper by 144.2% in 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 purchasing an additional 152,907 shares during the last quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. raised its stake in shares of International Paper by 29.6% during the 1st quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 137,856 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $4,921,000 after acquiring an additional 31,518 shares in the last quarter. Alpha Omega Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in International Paper during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,539,000. AE Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in International Paper by 12.8% during the fourth quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC now owns 374,851 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $14,765,000 after acquiring an additional 42,541 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new stake in International Paper in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $250,093,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.95% of the company’s stock.
Key International Paper News
Here are the key news stories impacting International Paper this week:
- Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan upgraded International Paper (IP) from “neutral” to “overweight” and raised its price target from $51 to $61. The firm cited an improving U.S. linerboard pricing cycle, which could support stronger margins and earnings. International Paper raised at JP Morgan on improving US linerboard pricing cycle
- Positive Sentiment: The JPMorgan target implies substantial upside from recent trading levels and helped reinforce the view that a recovery in pricing could improve International Paper’s financial performance. Why is International Paper stock soaring today?
- Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised its FY2026 EPS estimate to $1.34 from $1.32 and increased its Q4 2026 estimate to $0.75 from $0.69. These revisions suggest some improvement in expected near-term profitability, although Zacks maintained a “Hold” rating.
- Neutral Sentiment: Zacks made mixed changes to its 2027 outlook, raising Q1 EPS to $0.58 from $0.56 while trimming Q2 EPS to $0.66 from $0.67 and Q3 EPS to $0.71 from $0.72. The overall full-year consensus remains $1.39 per share.
- Neutral Sentiment: International Paper’s CEO is scheduled to speak at the Jefferies 2026 Industrials Conference on September 10. The event could provide updates on strategy, demand and pricing, but no new company guidance was announced.
- Negative Sentiment: Unusually heavy put-option activity—16,246 contracts, roughly 341% above typical volume—signals increased hedging or bearish speculation. Options activity does not necessarily indicate that the underlying business outlook has deteriorated.
- Negative Sentiment: International Paper is approaching Q2 earnings with expectations for lower revenue and a projected loss, reflecting maintenance costs and pricing changes. Its prior quarter also missed both EPS and revenue estimates, adding execution risk ahead of the results.
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.
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