International Paper Company (NYSE:IP) Given Consensus Rating of "Moderate Buy" by Brokerages

Key Points

• Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus on International Paper, with nine buys, four holds, and one sell among 14 firms. The average 12-month price target is approximately $48.75.
• International Paper reported quarterly EPS of $0.04, beating the $0.04 loss analysts expected, though revenue fell 11.3% year over year to $6 billion.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.4625, equivalent to $1.85 annually and a 5.4% yield; insiders own 0.21% of shares, while institutional investors hold 81.95%.

International Paper Company (NYSE:IP - Get Free Report) has been assigned a consensus recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the fourteen research firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, four have given a hold recommendation and nine have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $48.7462.

IP has been the topic of several analyst reports. Seaport Research Partners reissued a "buy" rating and set a $46.00 target price on shares of International Paper in a research report on Wednesday, August 12th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of International Paper from a "sell (d)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price target on shares of International Paper from $48.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Wall Street Zen cut International Paper from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 25th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on International Paper from $42.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st.

Insider Buying and Selling at International Paper

In related news, CAO Holly G. Goughnour sold 3,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $41.96, for a total value of $146,860.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 34,248 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,437,046.08. This trade represents a 9.27% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, VP William Hamic sold 24,500 shares of International Paper stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $41.20, for a total transaction of $1,009,400.00. Following the sale, the vice president owned 106,952 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,406,422.40. The trade was a 18.64% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.21% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On International Paper

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. MCF Advisors LLC raised its stake in International Paper by 36.7% during the fourth quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 853 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 229 shares during the period. Rothschild Investment LLC grew its stake in shares of International Paper by 4.2% during the 4th quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 5,993 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $236,000 after buying an additional 242 shares during the period. Independent Advisor Alliance grew its stake in shares of International Paper by 3.3% during the 4th quarter. Independent Advisor Alliance now owns 7,750 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $305,000 after buying an additional 244 shares during the period. Stephens Inc. AR increased its holdings in shares of International Paper by 1.3% during the 1st quarter. Stephens Inc. AR now owns 23,032 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $853,000 after buying an additional 298 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. increased its holdings in shares of International Paper by 2.3% during the 4th quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 13,274 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $523,000 after buying an additional 302 shares during the last quarter. 81.95% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

International Paper Stock Performance

International Paper stock opened at $34.25 on Friday. The company's 50-day moving average price is $39.30 and its 200-day moving average price is $36.98. International Paper has a twelve month low of $29.26 and a twelve month high of $50.25. The company has a quick ratio of 0.84, a current ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57. The company has a market cap of $18.14 billion, a PE ratio of -5.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.31 and a beta of 0.93.

International Paper (NYSE:IP - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The basic materials company reported $0.04 earnings per share (EPS) 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 analysts' expectations 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 revenue was down 11.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.20 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that International Paper will post 1.34 EPS for the current fiscal year.

International Paper Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be paid a $0.4625 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. This represents a $1.85 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.4%. International Paper's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -28.37%.

About International Paper

International Paper Company NYSE: IP is a global producer of sustainable packaging and paper-based products. The company manufactures containerboard, corrugated packaging, and other fiber-based packaging solutions used to transport and protect goods across a range of industries. Its offerings also include absorbent pulp and cellulose fibers used in products such as diapers, hygiene items, and other consumer and industrial applications.

Founded in 1898, International Paper has grown through the development and operation of paper mills, packaging facilities, and related manufacturing assets.

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