Zacks Research Issues Pessimistic Outlook for IP Earnings

International Paper Company (NYSE:IP) – Analysts at Zacks Research lowered their Q2 2026 EPS estimates for shares of International Paper in a research note issued on Friday, March 13th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the basic materials company will earn $0.46 per share for the quarter, down from their prior estimate of $0.49. Zacks Research currently 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 research firms have also weighed in on IP. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded International Paper from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and upped their price objective for the company from $36.00 to $40.00 in a research note on Friday, January 30th. UBS Group downgraded International Paper from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and cut their target price for the stock from $51.00 to $44.00 in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price target on International Paper from $51.80 to $50.70 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on International Paper from $47.00 to $48.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of International Paper in a report on Monday, December 29th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, International Paper presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $48.25.

International Paper Stock Performance

NYSE:IP opened at $37.30 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $19.75 billion, a PE ratio of -5.56 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a quick ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. International Paper has a 12-month low of $35.45 and a 12-month high of $56.64. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $43.17 and a 200 day moving average price of $42.81.

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

Insider Transactions at International Paper

In related news, CEO Andrew K. Silvernail bought 50,000 shares of International Paper stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 30th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $39.98 per share, for a total transaction of $1,999,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 50,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,999,000. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Anders Gustafsson purchased 13,217 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 12th. The shares were bought 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 $987,060.36. The trade was a 102.66% increase in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders acquired 76,092 shares of company stock valued at $2,999,064. Insiders own 0.55% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. McIlrath & Eck LLC raised its position in shares of International Paper by 452.6% during the fourth quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC now owns 641 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 525 shares during the last quarter. MV Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in International Paper in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Migdal Insurance & Financial Holdings Ltd. acquired a new stake in International Paper in the second quarter worth about $33,000. Sound Income Strategies LLC raised its holdings in International Paper by 94.0% during the 4th quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 710 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 344 shares during the last quarter. Finally, DV Equities LLC bought a new stake in International Paper during the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. 81.95% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.