International Paper (NYSE:IP) Cut to “Strong Sell” at Zacks Research

Zacks Research downgraded shares of International Paper (NYSE:IP) from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a report published on Thursday,Zacks.com reports. Zacks Research also issued estimates for International Paper’s Q1 2026 earnings at $0.24 EPS, Q2 2026 earnings at $0.30 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $0.56 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $0.62 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $1.73 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $0.72 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $0.62 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $0.78 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $0.85 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $2.97 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at $0.79 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $3.31 EPS.

A number of other research firms have also recently commented on IP. Truist Financial lowered their price target on International Paper from $48.00 to $44.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on International Paper from $48.00 to $46.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 2nd. UBS Group lowered their target price on International Paper from $44.00 to $40.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Friday, April 10th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on International Paper from $47.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Citigroup lowered their target price on International Paper from $47.00 to $44.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $45.48.

International Paper Price Performance

International Paper stock opened at $32.66 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a current ratio of 1.28. International Paper has a 52 week low of $32.53 and a 52 week high of $56.13. The stock has a market capitalization of $17.29 billion, a P/E ratio of -4.87 and a beta of 1.14. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $38.51 and a 200-day moving average of $40.46.

International Paper (NYSE:IP) last posted 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 business had revenue of $6.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.90 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted ($0.02) EPS. International Paper’s quarterly revenue was up 53.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts expect that International Paper will post 1.67 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at International Paper

In other news, Director Anders Gustafsson bought 13,217 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 12th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $37.83 per share, with a total value of $499,999.11. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 26,092 shares in the company, valued at approximately $987,060.36. This trade represents a 102.66% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Andrew K. Silvernail bought 50,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, January 30th. The stock was purchased 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 owned 50,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,999,000. This represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders acquired 76,092 shares of company stock valued at $2,999,064. Insiders own 0.21% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On International Paper

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in IP. McIlrath & Eck LLC grew its position in shares of International Paper by 452.6% in the 4th quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC now owns 641 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 525 shares during the last quarter. MV Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of International Paper in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. DV Equities LLC bought a new stake in shares of International Paper in the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Sound Income Strategies LLC grew its position in shares of International Paper by 94.0% in the 4th quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 710 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 344 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Summit Securities Group LLC grew its position in shares of International Paper by 115.4% in the 4th quarter. Summit Securities Group LLC now owns 784 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 5,875 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 81.95% of the company’s stock.

More International Paper News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks bumped a few quarterly estimates: Q4 2026 raised to $0.62 (from $0.61), Q4 2027 raised to $0.85 (from $0.80), and Q1 2026 nudged to $0.24 (from $0.23). These small upward revisions are supportive for near‑term upside if trends persist.
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks retains a “Hold” rating and cites a consensus current full‑year EPS of $1.67 — the firm is broadly adjusting timing and magnitude of earnings but not changing its overall view.
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks cut FY2027 estimates to $2.97 (from $3.24) and trimmed FY2028 to $3.31 (from $3.49), lowering medium‑term profitability expectations.
• Negative Sentiment: Q2 2027 estimate was steeply reduced to $0.62 (from $0.86), the largest single quarterly downgrade in the report — a clear near‑term negative signal for earnings momentum.
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple modest downward tweaks across quarters (Q1 2027 to $0.72, Q3 2027 to $0.78, Q3 2026/Q2 2026 cuts) indicate Zacks expects slower recovery/pressure across IP’s cycle.

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.