Analysts Set International Paper Company (NYSE:IP) Target Price at $48.25

Shares of International Paper Company (NYSE:IP) have been given a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the thirteen ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, four have issued a hold recommendation and eight have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $48.0636.

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Citigroup raised their price objective on shares of International Paper from $46.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Argus reduced their target price on International Paper from $55.00 to $50.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of International Paper in a report on Monday, December 29th. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price target on International Paper from $51.80 to $50.70 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Finally, Zacks Research raised International Paper from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, March 13th.

Insider Transactions at International Paper

In other news, CEO Andrew K. Silvernail purchased 50,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, January 30th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $39.98 per share, with a total value of $1,999,000.00. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer directly 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 Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Anders Gustafsson purchased 13,217 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 12th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $37.83 per share, with a total value of $499,999.11. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 26,092 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $987,060.36. This represents a 102.66% increase in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders have purchased 76,092 shares of company stock valued at $2,999,064. 0.55% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On International Paper

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. MCF Advisors LLC raised its stake in International Paper by 36.7% during the fourth quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 853 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 229 shares during the period. Rothschild Investment LLC increased its holdings in shares of International Paper by 4.2% during the 4th quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 5,993 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $236,000 after buying an additional 242 shares during the last quarter. International Private Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of International Paper by 4.1% during the 4th quarter. International Private Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 6,175 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $243,000 after buying an additional 243 shares during the last quarter. Independent Advisor Alliance raised its position in shares of International Paper by 3.3% in the 4th quarter. Independent Advisor Alliance now owns 7,750 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $305,000 after buying an additional 244 shares during the period. Finally, Atalanta Sosnoff Capital LLC raised its position in shares of International Paper by 3.8% in the 2nd quarter. Atalanta Sosnoff Capital LLC now owns 6,759 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $317,000 after buying an additional 245 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.95% of the company’s stock.

International Paper Price Performance

International Paper stock opened at $36.22 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $19.17 billion, a PE ratio of -5.40 and a beta of 1.09. International Paper has a 52 week low of $33.57 and a 52 week high of $56.64. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $42.35 and its 200 day simple moving average is $42.16. 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 (NYSE:IP) last posted 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 analysts’ expectations of $5.90 billion. International Paper had a negative net margin of 14.12% and a negative return on equity of 0.35%. The business’s revenue was up 53.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted ($0.02) earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts predict that International Paper will post 2.77 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.