Fifth Third Bancorp Increases Holdings in International Paper Company $IP

Fifth Third Bancorp raised its stake in International Paper Company (NYSE:IP) by 654.8% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 146,080 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after purchasing an additional 126,726 shares during the quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp’s holdings in International Paper were worth $5,215,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in IP. McIlrath & Eck LLC lifted its stake in shares of International Paper by 452.6% in the fourth quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC now owns 641 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 525 shares in the last quarter. MV Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in International Paper during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Sound Income Strategies LLC boosted its holdings 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 period. DV Equities LLC acquired a new position in International Paper in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Finally, Ascentis Independent Advisors bought a new position in International Paper during the 1st quarter worth $28,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.95% of the company’s stock.

International Paper Trading Down 0.9%

Shares of International Paper stock opened at $37.53 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $19.87 billion, a PE ratio of -5.90 and a beta of 0.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 1.21 and a quick ratio of 0.94. International Paper Company has a 52-week low of $29.26 and a 52-week high of $56.13. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $35.04 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $38.04.

International Paper (NYSE:IP) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The basic materials company reported $0.15 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.18 by ($0.03). The firm had revenue of $5.97 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.02 billion. International Paper had a negative return on equity of 0.49% and a negative net margin of 13.42%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 13.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.17 EPS. On average, analysts expect that International Paper Company will post 1.39 EPS for the current year.

International Paper Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be paid 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 4.9%. International Paper’s dividend payout ratio is presently -29.09%.

Key International Paper News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo reiterated a Buy rating on International Paper, and Royal Bank of Canada raised its price target from $45 to $48, signaling continued analyst confidence in upside potential. International Paper Co (IP) Gets a Buy from Wells Fargo
• Positive Sentiment: The company announced new independent board appointments, adding Katherine Collins and Lori J. Ryerkerk, which may be viewed as a governance-strengthening move. International Paper Announces Changes to Its Board of Directors
• Positive Sentiment: Truist Financial issued a positive forecast for International Paper, adding to the constructive analyst tone around the stock. Truist Financial Issues Positive Forecast for International Paper (NYSE:IP) Stock Price
• Neutral Sentiment: International Paper’s board changes also included the departure of directors Dr. Kathryn Sullivan and Ahmet, suggesting a broader refresh rather than a clear operational catalyst. International Paper Announces Changes to Its Board of Directors
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks Research trimmed its Q3 2026 EPS estimate to $0.51 from $0.53 and lowered FY2028 EPS slightly to $3.25 from $3.28, but kept a Hold rating, making this more of a mild caution than a major negative. International Paper Company (NYSE:IP) – Free Report
• Negative Sentiment: International Paper said it will close its Carrollton South, Texas packaging facility by the end of Q3 2026, and another report said the company will also close a Texas plant, highlighting ongoing network rationalization that can weigh on sentiment. International Paper to Close Carrollton South, Texas Packaging Facility

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Scott Tozier acquired 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 1st. The stock was acquired at an average price of $31.30 per share, for a total transaction of $313,000.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 10,025 shares in the company, valued at approximately $313,782.50. This represents a 40,000.00% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.21% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

IP has been the topic of several analyst reports. BNP Paribas Exane lowered their target price on International Paper from $44.00 to $42.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 25th. Bank of America downgraded shares of International Paper from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $41.00 target price on the stock. in a report on Tuesday. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on International Paper from $39.00 to $42.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Weiss Ratings cut International Paper from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “sell (d)” rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Finally, Citigroup increased their target price on shares of International Paper from $36.00 to $43.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $44.31.

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.