Q3 EPS Forecast for International Paper Decreased by Analyst

Key Points

• Zacks Research lowered International Paper’s Q3 2026 EPS estimate to $0.31 from $0.32 and maintains a “Hold” rating; full-year consensus EPS is $1.31.
• International Paper’s latest quarter exceeded EPS expectations at $0.04 versus the projected loss of $0.04, but revenue fell 11.3% year over year to $6 billion, below estimates.
• Analyst sentiment is generally positive, with a “Moderate Buy” consensus and average price target of $47.82, while the company pays a quarterly dividend of $0.4625, implying a 5.8% yield.

International Paper Company (NYSE:IP - Free Report) - Investment analysts at Zacks Research dropped their Q3 2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of International Paper in a research note issued to investors on Monday, October 5th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the basic materials company will post earnings per share of $0.31 for the quarter, down from their prior estimate of $0.32. Zacks Research currently has a "Hold" rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for International Paper's current full-year earnings is $1.31 per share.

International Paper (NYSE:IP - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The basic materials company reported $0.04 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.04) by $0.08. The company 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%. International Paper's revenue for the quarter was down 11.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.20 earnings per share.

Several other brokerages have also commented on IP. Bank of America upgraded shares of International Paper from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $46.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Friday, September 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on International Paper from $61.00 to $62.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 23rd. Loop Capital set a $61.00 price target on International Paper in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th. 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 report on Friday, July 31st. Finally, Truist Financial reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $49.00 price objective (up from $46.00) on shares of International Paper in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, International Paper presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $47.82.

International Paper Price Performance

Shares of IP opened at $32.08 on Tuesday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $37.99 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $36.20. The stock has a market cap of $16.99 billion, a PE ratio of -4.92, a P/E/G ratio of 4.07 and a beta of 0.93. International Paper has a 1-year low of $29.26 and a 1-year high of $50.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 1.10 and a quick ratio of 0.84.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On International Paper

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in shares of International Paper during the second quarter worth $1,940,896,000. State Street Corp lifted its holdings in International Paper by 7.1% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 32,999,909 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $1,257,297,000 after buying an additional 2,189,597 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new stake in International Paper during the 2nd quarter worth about $689,498,000. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its position in shares of International Paper by 81.6% during the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 14,832,952 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $584,270,000 after acquiring an additional 6,663,986 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Atlas FRM LLC acquired a new position in shares of International Paper during the 2nd quarter worth about $374,904,000. 81.95% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other news, CAO Holly G. Goughnour sold 3,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $41.96, for a total transaction of $146,860.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 34,248 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,437,046.08. The trade was a 9.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP William Hamic sold 24,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 sale, the vice president owned 106,952 shares in the company, valued at $4,406,422.40. The trade was a 18.64% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Company insiders own 0.21% of the company's stock.

International Paper Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 14th were paid a $0.4625 dividend. This represents a $1.85 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.8%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 14th. International Paper's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -28.37%.

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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