International Paper Company (NYSE:IP) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” from Analysts

Shares of International Paper Company (NYSE:IP) have earned an average recommendation of “Hold” from the fourteen research firms that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price target among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $50.4364.

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on IP shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on International Paper from $48.00 to $46.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, December 5th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of International Paper from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, October 18th. BNP Paribas Exane upgraded shares of International Paper from an “underperform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $44.00 price target on the stock in a report on Monday, November 24th. Citigroup reduced their price objective on shares of International Paper from $55.00 to $46.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, November 3rd. Finally, Seaport Res Ptn downgraded International Paper from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, October 6th.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other International Paper news, SVP Joseph R. Saab sold 9,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $45.53, for a total transaction of $409,770.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 27,673 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,259,951.69. This represents a 24.54% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.55% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On International Paper

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Rise Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of International Paper by 281.3% during the first quarter. Rise Advisors LLC now owns 469 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 346 shares in the last quarter. AlphaQuest LLC boosted its stake in International Paper by 63,400.0% during the 2nd quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 635 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 634 shares during the last quarter. Migdal Insurance & Financial Holdings Ltd. bought a new stake in International Paper during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $33,000. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT bought a new stake in International Paper during the 1st quarter worth approximately $34,000. Finally, Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of International Paper in the second quarter worth approximately $35,000. 81.95% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

International Paper Trading Down 2.5%

NYSE IP opened at $37.54 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $19.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -14.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.21 and a beta of 1.09. International Paper has a twelve month low of $35.56 and a twelve month high of $60.15. The company has a quick ratio of 1.04, a current ratio of 1.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52. The business’s fifty day moving average is $41.71 and its 200 day moving average is $46.01.

International Paper (NYSE:IP) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The basic materials company reported ($0.43) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.53 by ($0.96). International Paper had a negative net margin of 5.45% and a negative return on equity of 0.16%. The firm had revenue of $6.22 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.76 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.33 earnings per share. International Paper’s revenue for the quarter was up 56.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that International Paper will post 2.77 EPS for the current fiscal year.

International Paper Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 16th. Investors of record on Friday, November 14th will be paid a $0.4625 dividend. This represents a $1.85 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.9%. International Paper’s dividend payout ratio is currently -70.88%.

About International Paper

International Paper Company produces and sells renewable fiber-based packaging and pulp products in North America, Latin America, Europe, and North Africa. It operates through two segments, Industrial Packaging and Global Cellulose Fibers. The company offers linerboard, medium, whitetop, recycled linerboard, recycled medium and saturating kraft; and pulp for a range of applications, such as diapers, towel and tissue products, feminine care, incontinence, and other personal care products, as well as specialty pulps for use in textiles, construction materials, paints, coatings, and others.