International Paper (NYSE:IP) Receives Consensus Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from Brokerages

Shares of International Paper (NYSE:IP - Get Free Report) have been given an average recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by the ten ratings firms that are covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price target among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $51.88.

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Bank of America assumed coverage on shares of International Paper in a research report on Thursday. They set a "neutral" rating on the stock. BNP Paribas cut shares of International Paper from a "neutral" rating to an "underperform" rating and set a $48.20 price target on the stock. in a research report on Wednesday, November 13th. Truist Financial reissued a "buy" rating and set a $64.00 price target (down from $65.00) on shares of International Paper in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and set a $64.00 price objective on shares of International Paper in a report on Friday, January 31st.

International Paper Trading Up 1.5 %

IP stock traded up $0.81 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $56.25. The company's stock had a trading volume of 7,666,126 shares, compared to its average volume of 12,581,360. International Paper has a 52 week low of $33.16 and a 52 week high of $60.36. The stock has a market cap of $19.54 billion, a PE ratio of 35.83 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a quick ratio of 1.08, a current ratio of 1.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $55.45 and its 200-day simple moving average is $52.30.

International Paper (NYSE:IP - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The basic materials company reported ($0.02) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.03 by ($0.05). International Paper had a return on equity of 4.75% and a net margin of 2.99%. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that International Paper will post 2.89 EPS for the current year.

International Paper Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 24th will be paid a $0.4625 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 24th. This represents a $1.85 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.29%. International Paper's payout ratio is currently 117.83%.

Insider Buying and Selling at International Paper

In other news, Director Kathryn D. Sullivan sold 600 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $58.39, for a total transaction of $35,034.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 37,145 shares in the company, valued at $2,168,896.55. The trade was a 1.59 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Company insiders own 0.55% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of IP. First Horizon Advisors Inc. raised its stake in International Paper by 5.7% during the third quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 3,282 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $160,000 after buying an additional 177 shares during the last quarter. SPC Financial Inc. raised its stake in International Paper by 1.4% during the fourth quarter. SPC Financial Inc. now owns 14,100 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $759,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. AlphaMark Advisors LLC grew its holdings in International Paper by 5.7% in the fourth quarter. AlphaMark Advisors LLC now owns 3,814 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $205,000 after purchasing an additional 204 shares during the period. Inspire Advisors LLC grew its holdings in International Paper by 1.7% in the fourth quarter. Inspire Advisors LLC now owns 12,358 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $665,000 after purchasing an additional 204 shares during the period. Finally, MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB grew its holdings in International Paper by 14.7% in the fourth quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 1,601 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $86,000 after purchasing an additional 205 shares during the period. 81.95% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

International Paper Company Profile

International Paper Company produces and sells renewable fiber-based packaging and pulp products in North America, Latin America, Europe, and North Africa. It operates through two segments, Industrial Packaging and Global Cellulose Fibers. The company offers linerboard, medium, whitetop, recycled linerboard, recycled medium and saturating kraft; and pulp for a range of applications, such as diapers, towel and tissue products, feminine care, incontinence, and other personal care products, as well as specialty pulps for use in textiles, construction materials, paints, coatings, and others.