International Paper (IP) Competitors

Clearwater Paper (NYSE:CLW) and International Paper (NYSE:IP) are both basic materials companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, risk, earnings, institutional ownership, media sentiment, profitability, valuation and analyst recommendations.

Does the media refer more to CLW or IP?

In the previous week, International Paper had 30 more articles in the media than Clearwater Paper. MarketBeat recorded 34 mentions for International Paper and 4 mentions for Clearwater Paper. International Paper's average media sentiment score of 0.88 beat Clearwater Paper's score of -0.70 indicating that International Paper is being referred to more favorably in the news media.

Company	Very Positive	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Very Negative	Overall Sentiment
Clearwater Paper	0 Very Positive mention(s)	0 Positive mention(s)	0 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	4 Very Negative mention(s)	Negative
International Paper	16 Very Positive mention(s)	4 Positive mention(s)	14 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive

Do institutionals and insiders have more ownership in CLW or IP?

90.0% of Clearwater Paper shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 82.0% of International Paper shares are owned by institutional investors. 3.6% of Clearwater Paper shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 0.6% of International Paper shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Do analysts prefer CLW or IP?

Clearwater Paper currently has a consensus price target of $37.00, suggesting a potential upside of 32.60%. International Paper has a consensus price target of $54.54, suggesting a potential upside of 14.95%. Given Clearwater Paper's stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Clearwater Paper is more favorable than International Paper.

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Clearwater Paper	0 Sell rating(s)	0 Hold rating(s)	1 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	3.00
International Paper	2 Sell rating(s)	2 Hold rating(s)	6 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.40

Is CLW or IP more profitable?

Clearwater Paper has a net margin of 9.90% compared to International Paper's net margin of 1.99%. International Paper's return on equity of 4.05% beat Clearwater Paper's return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Clearwater Paper	9.90%	-5.76%	-2.10%
International Paper	1.99%	4.05%	1.60%

Which has more volatility & risk, CLW or IP?

Clearwater Paper has a beta of 0.13, indicating that its share price is 87% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, International Paper has a beta of 1.04, indicating that its share price is 4% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Which has higher valuation and earnings, CLW or IP?

International Paper has higher revenue and earnings than Clearwater Paper. Clearwater Paper is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than International Paper, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Company	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Clearwater Paper	$1.38B	0.33	$196.30M	$10.33	2.70
International Paper	$18.62B	1.35	$557M	$1.17	40.56

Summary

International Paper beats Clearwater Paper on 10 of the 16 factors compared between the two stocks.