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

Shares of International Paper (NYSE:IP - Get Free Report) have earned an average recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the nine research firms that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, six have assigned a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $51.96.

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Truist Financial reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $61.00 price target (up previously from $57.00) on shares of International Paper in a research report on Friday. Argus upgraded shares of International Paper from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $52.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, August 14th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of International Paper from $43.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Thursday, July 25th. Stifel Nicolaus started coverage on International Paper in a research note on Tuesday, July 9th. They set a "hold" rating and a $48.70 target price on the stock. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on International Paper from $56.00 to $64.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday.

International Paper Stock Up 1.7 %

International Paper stock traded up $0.96 on Tuesday, hitting $57.56. 7,457,883 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 5,364,975. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $48.64 and its 200 day simple moving average is $45.21. The firm has a market cap of $20.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 48.18 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a current ratio of 1.53, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. International Paper has a 1 year low of $31.76 and a 1 year high of $57.80.

International Paper (NYSE:IP - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 31st. The basic materials company reported $0.44 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.24 by $0.20. International Paper had a net margin of 2.25% and a return on equity of 6.49%. The business had revenue of $4.69 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.70 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.64 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 1.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that International Paper will post 1.51 earnings per share for the current year.

International Paper Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 16th. Investors of record on Friday, November 15th will be issued a $0.4625 dividend. This represents a $1.85 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.21%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 15th. International Paper's payout ratio is currently 158.12%.

Insider Buying and Selling at International Paper

In related news, Director Kathryn D. Sullivan sold 600 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $53.50, for a total value of $32,100.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 38,345 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,051,457.50. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. In other International Paper news, VP Holly G. Goughnour sold 5,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $47.22, for a total transaction of $236,100.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 16,788 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $792,729.36. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Kathryn D. Sullivan sold 600 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $53.50, for a total value of $32,100.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 38,345 shares in the company, valued at $2,051,457.50. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 19,440 shares of company stock valued at $938,486. 0.55% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On International Paper

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Innealta Capital LLC bought a new stake in International Paper during the second quarter valued at about $26,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new stake in International Paper during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Crewe Advisors LLC purchased a new position in International Paper in the 1st quarter worth approximately $29,000. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. bought a new position in International Paper in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $37,000. Finally, Eastern Bank purchased a new stake in International Paper during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $40,000. 81.95% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.