Zacks Research Issues Pessimistic Outlook for IP Earnings

International Paper Company (NYSE:IP) – Research analysts at Zacks Research lowered their Q3 2026 EPS estimates for shares of International Paper in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday, October 5th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the basic materials company will earn $0.31 per share for the quarter, down from their previous estimate of $0.32. Zacks Research has a “Hold” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for International Paper’s current full-year earnings is $1.31 per share.

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

A number of other brokerages have also issued reports on IP. UBS Group decreased their price target on International Paper from $47.00 to $35.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Monday. Argus reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $45.00 price objective on shares of International Paper in a research report on Thursday, September 24th. Weiss Ratings upgraded International Paper from a “sell (d)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Bank of America upgraded International Paper from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $46.00 target price for the company in a research report on Friday, September 11th. Finally, Truist Financial restated a “buy” rating and issued a $49.00 price target (up from $46.00) on shares of International Paper in a report on Friday, July 31st. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $47.52.

International Paper Trading Down 1.1%

IP opened at $31.79 on Tuesday. 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 stock’s 50 day moving average price is $37.53 and its 200-day moving average price is $36.16. International Paper has a one year low of $29.26 and a one year high of $50.25. The stock has a market cap of $16.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -4.88, a P/E/G ratio of 4.09 and a beta of 0.93.

Institutional Trading of International Paper

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of IP. MV Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of International Paper in the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Aberdeen Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in International Paper in the second quarter valued at about $27,000. Ascentis Independent Advisors purchased a new position in International Paper in the first quarter valued at about $28,000. Delta Asset Management LLC TN bought a new position in International Paper in the second quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB bought a new position in International Paper in the third quarter worth about $31,000. Institutional investors own 81.95% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, CAO Holly G. Goughnour sold 3,500 shares of International Paper stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $41.96, for a total transaction of $146,860.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 34,248 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,437,046.08. This trade represents a 9.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, VP William Hamic sold 24,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 completion of the transaction, 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 position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders own 0.21% of the company’s stock.

International Paper Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 14th were given a dividend of $0.4625 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 14th. This represents a $1.85 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.8%. International Paper’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -28.37%.

About International Paper

International Paper (NYSE: IP) is a global producer of sustainable packaging, pulp and paper products. The company manufactures corrugated packaging, containerboard and other fiber-based packaging solutions used to protect, transport and display goods, along with market pulp and specialty paper products.

Founded in 1898, International Paper has developed operations serving customers across North America and Europe. Its activities also include recycling and the recovery of fiber used in paper and packaging production, supporting the company’s focus on renewable and recyclable materials.

International Paper completed its combination with DS Smith in 2025, expanding its geographic reach and packaging capabilities.