International Paper (NYSE:IP) Stock Rating Cut to "Sell" at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen downgraded International Paper from “Hold” to “Sell,” although the broader analyst consensus remains “Moderate Buy” with a $48.75 price target.
• International Paper shares opened at $31.96, down 1.7%, and remain well below their 12-month high of $50.25. The company reported $0.04 in quarterly EPS, beating estimates, but revenue fell 11.3% year over year and profitability remained negative.
• Insiders recently sold shares, including transactions by the chief accounting officer and a vice president, while institutional investors own approximately 81.95% of the company’s stock.

International Paper (NYSE:IP - Get Free Report) was downgraded by investment analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Saturday, Wall Street Zen reports.

A number of other equities research analysts have also recently commented on IP. Bank of America raised International Paper from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $46.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Friday, September 11th. Zacks Research upgraded International Paper from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Seaport Research Partners reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $46.00 price target on shares of International Paper in a research report on Wednesday, August 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of International Paper from $61.00 to $62.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 23rd. Finally, Argus reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $45.00 price objective on shares of International Paper in a research note on Thursday, September 24th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $48.75.

International Paper Trading Down 1.7%

NYSE:IP opened at $31.96 on Friday. International Paper has a 12 month low of $29.26 and a 12 month high of $50.25. The company has a current ratio of 1.10, a quick ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57. The stock has a market capitalization of $16.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -4.90, a PEG ratio of 4.14 and a beta of 0.93. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $38.19 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $36.25.

International Paper (NYSE:IP - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The basic materials company reported $0.04 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.04) by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $6 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.19 billion. International Paper had a negative net margin of 14.20% and a negative return on equity of 1.09%. The business's quarterly revenue was down 11.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.20 earnings per share. Analysts expect that International Paper will post 1.31 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CAO Holly G. Goughnour sold 3,500 shares of International Paper stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $41.96, for a total transaction of $146,860.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 34,248 shares in the company, valued at $1,437,046.08. The trade was a 9.27% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, VP William Hamic sold 24,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $41.20, for a total transaction of $1,009,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 106,952 shares in the company, valued at $4,406,422.40. This trade represents a 18.64% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Company insiders own 0.21% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of International Paper

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. MCF Advisors LLC raised its position in International Paper by 36.7% during the fourth quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 853 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 229 shares in the last quarter. Stephens Inc. AR lifted its stake in International Paper by 1.3% during the first quarter. Stephens Inc. AR now owns 23,032 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $853,000 after purchasing an additional 298 shares during the last quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. boosted its holdings in shares of International Paper by 2.3% in the 4th quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 13,274 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $523,000 after purchasing an additional 302 shares in the last quarter. Ranch Capital Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of International Paper by 0.8% in the 1st quarter. Ranch Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 45,785 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $1,635,000 after purchasing an additional 364 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Krilogy Financial LLC increased its position in shares of International Paper by 5.8% during the 1st quarter. Krilogy Financial LLC now owns 8,017 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $290,000 after purchasing an additional 437 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 81.95% of the company's stock.

About International Paper

International Paper NYSE: IP is a global producer of sustainable packaging, pulp and paper products. The company manufactures corrugated packaging, containerboard and other fiber-based packaging solutions used to protect, transport and display goods, along with market pulp and specialty paper products.

Founded in 1898, International Paper has developed operations serving customers across North America and Europe. Its activities also include recycling and the recovery of fiber used in paper and packaging production, supporting the company's focus on renewable and recyclable materials.

International Paper completed its combination with DS Smith in 2025, expanding its geographic reach and packaging capabilities.

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