First Trust Advisors LP Increases Holdings in International Paper (NYSE:IP)

First Trust Advisors LP lifted its position in International Paper (NYSE:IP - Free Report) by 125.8% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 439,576 shares of the basic materials company's stock after acquiring an additional 244,875 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP owned 0.13% of International Paper worth $23,658,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Sierra Ocean LLC purchased a new position in shares of International Paper in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Centricity Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of International Paper in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Picton Mahoney Asset Management lifted its stake in shares of International Paper by 67.0% in the 4th quarter. Picton Mahoney Asset Management now owns 536 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 215 shares during the period. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its stake in International Paper by 313.3% during the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 591 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 448 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Venturi Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in International Paper by 90.2% during the fourth quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 622 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 295 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.95% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have issued reports on IP shares. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $64.00 price objective on shares of International Paper in a research note on Wednesday, March 26th. StockNews.com cut International Paper from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, March 28th. Truist Financial lowered their price objective on International Paper from $64.00 to $59.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 22nd. Citigroup started coverage on International Paper in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. They set a "buy" rating and a $60.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Bank of America started coverage on International Paper in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. They set a "neutral" rating for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, International Paper has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $54.77.

International Paper Stock Performance

Shares of IP traded up $0.11 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $47.59. The stock had a trading volume of 4,030,464 shares, compared to its average volume of 8,415,351. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $50.78 and a 200 day moving average price of $53.61. International Paper has a 12 month low of $34.54 and a 12 month high of $60.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 1.49 and a quick ratio of 1.08. The firm has a market capitalization of $25.12 billion, a PE ratio of 30.31, a PEG ratio of 0.39 and a beta of 0.99.

International Paper (NYSE:IP - Get Free Report) last released 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%. Analysts anticipate that International Paper will post 2.77 EPS for the current year.

International Paper 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.