Zacks Research Has Pessimistic Outlook of IP Q1 Earnings

International Paper Company (NYSE:IP) – Analysts at Zacks Research dropped their Q1 2026 earnings estimates for International Paper in a research report issued on Thursday, March 19th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the basic materials company will post earnings per share of $0.22 for the quarter, down from their previous estimate of $0.24. Zacks Research currently has a “Hold” 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 Q2 2026 earnings at $0.45 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $0.56 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $0.60 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $0.74 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $0.84 EPS and Q4 2027 earnings at $0.78 EPS.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports on IP. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their target price on shares of International Paper from $51.80 to $50.70 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their target price on International Paper from $55.00 to $54.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Wells Fargo & Company raised International Paper from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $36.00 to $40.00 in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on shares of International Paper from $47.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of International Paper in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $48.25.

International Paper Stock Performance

NYSE IP opened at $34.03 on Friday. International Paper has a fifty-two week low of $33.65 and a fifty-two week high of $56.64. The firm has a market capitalization of $18.02 billion, a P/E ratio of -5.07 and a beta of 1.09. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $42.80 and its two-hundred day moving average is $42.54. 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 (NYSE:IP) last released its quarterly earnings data 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). The business had revenue of $6.01 billion during 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%. The firm’s revenue was up 53.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted ($0.02) EPS.

Insider Transactions at International Paper

In other International Paper news, Director Anders Gustafsson acquired 13,217 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 12th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $37.83 per share, for a total transaction 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 trade represents a 102.66% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Andrew K. Silvernail bought 50,000 shares of International Paper stock in a transaction on Friday, January 30th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $39.98 per share, for a total transaction of $1,999,000.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer owned 50,000 shares in the company, valued at $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. Insiders have purchased a total of 76,092 shares of company stock valued at $2,999,064 over the last 90 days. 0.35% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of International Paper

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of IP. AE Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in International Paper by 8.5% in the third quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC now owns 332,310 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $15,419,000 after acquiring an additional 26,146 shares during the last quarter. Westfield Capital Management Co. LP increased its position in shares of International Paper by 9.7% in the 2nd quarter. Westfield Capital Management Co. LP now owns 2,323,693 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $108,819,000 after purchasing an additional 205,888 shares during the last quarter. Caprock Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of International Paper in the 3rd quarter valued at $2,340,000. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of International Paper during the 2nd quarter worth $281,735,000. Finally, Tableaux LLC purchased a new stake in shares of International Paper during the 2nd quarter worth $2,342,000. 81.95% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.