American Century Companies Inc. Has $33.33 Million Stake in International Paper (NYSE:IP)

American Century Companies Inc. lifted its stake in International Paper (NYSE:IP - Free Report) by 11.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 619,287 shares of the basic materials company's stock after buying an additional 65,702 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. owned about 0.18% of International Paper worth $33,330,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in IP. Brooklyn Investment Group bought a new position in International Paper in the third quarter worth $25,000. Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new position in shares of International Paper in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Centricity Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of International Paper during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in shares of International Paper during the 3rd quarter valued at about $28,000. Finally, Picton Mahoney Asset Management increased its stake in International Paper by 67.0% in the fourth quarter. Picton Mahoney Asset Management now owns 536 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 215 shares during the period. 81.95% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently commented on the company. Bank of America started coverage on International Paper in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. They set a "neutral" rating for the company. Royal Bank of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $64.00 target price on shares of International Paper in a research note on Wednesday, March 26th. Citigroup assumed coverage on shares of International Paper in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. They set a "buy" rating and a $60.00 target price for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on shares of International Paper in a research report on Thursday, March 20th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $59.00 price target on the stock. Finally, StockNews.com lowered International Paper from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, March 28th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $55.32.

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International Paper Trading Up 1.6 %

NYSE:IP traded up $0.86 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $54.51. 3,830,620 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 9,506,485. The company's 50 day moving average is $54.62 and its two-hundred day moving average is $53.84. The company has a market capitalization of $28.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.39 and a beta of 1.02. International Paper has a twelve month low of $33.16 and a twelve month high of $60.36. The company has a quick ratio of 1.08, a current ratio of 1.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66.

International Paper (NYSE:IP - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The basic materials company reported ($0.02) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.03 by ($0.05). International Paper had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 4.75%. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that International Paper will post 2.77 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

International Paper Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 24th were paid a $0.4625 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 24th. This represents a $1.85 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.39%. International Paper's payout ratio is presently 117.83%.

About International Paper

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.