International Paper Company (NYSE:IP) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Shares of International Paper Company (NYSE:IP) have been assigned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the fourteen ratings firms that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, four have issued a hold recommendation and nine have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $48.7462.

IP has been the subject of several analyst reports. Seaport Research Partners reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $46.00 target price on shares of International Paper in a report on Wednesday, August 12th. Zacks Research raised shares of International Paper from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of International Paper from $40.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Wall Street Zen raised shares of International Paper from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, August 17th. Finally, Truist Financial restated a “buy” rating and set a $49.00 price objective (up from $46.00) on shares of International Paper in a research report on Friday, July 31st.

International Paper Stock Performance

NYSE:IP opened at $41.53 on Monday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $39.21 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $37.92. International Paper has a 52-week low of $29.26 and a 52-week high of $50.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57, a quick ratio of 0.84 and a current ratio of 1.10. The firm has a market capitalization of $21.99 billion, a PE ratio of -6.37 and a beta of 0.94.

International Paper (NYSE:IP) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The basic materials company reported $0.04 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.04) by $0.08. International Paper had a negative return on equity of 1.09% and a negative net margin of 14.20%.The firm had revenue of $6 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.19 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.20 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 11.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts forecast that International Paper will post 1.34 EPS for the current year.

International Paper Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Investors of record on Friday, August 14th will be issued a $0.4625 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. This represents a $1.85 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.5%. International Paper’s dividend payout ratio is currently -28.37%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other International Paper news, VP William Thomas Hamic sold 24,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $41.20, for a total transaction of $1,009,400.00. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 106,952 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,406,422.40. This trade represents a 18.64% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CAO Holly G. Goughnour sold 3,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $41.96, for a total value of $146,860.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 34,248 shares in the company, valued at $1,437,046.08. The trade was a 9.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate insiders own 0.21% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. 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 valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 525 shares during the last quarter. MV Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of International Paper during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Aberdeen Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of International Paper during the second quarter worth $27,000. Ascentis Independent Advisors purchased a new position in International Paper during the first quarter valued at $28,000. Finally, DV Equities LLC purchased a new position in International Paper during the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. 81.95% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.