Ethic Inc. Buys 5,870 Shares of International Paper (NYSE:IP)

Ethic Inc. raised its position in shares of International Paper (NYSE:IP - Free Report) by 35.4% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 22,457 shares of the basic materials company's stock after purchasing an additional 5,870 shares during the quarter. Ethic Inc.'s holdings in International Paper were worth $1,209,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Capital Research Global Investors lifted its holdings in shares of International Paper by 68.8% in the 4th quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 29,904,546 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $1,609,462,000 after acquiring an additional 12,191,361 shares during the last quarter. FMR LLC increased its position in shares of International Paper by 48.9% in the 4th quarter. FMR LLC now owns 26,559,812 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $1,429,449,000 after acquiring an additional 8,720,575 shares during the period. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. raised its position in International Paper by 134.8% during the fourth quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. now owns 3,948,752 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $212,522,000 after acquiring an additional 2,266,762 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of International Paper in the fourth quarter valued at about $109,201,000. Finally, Slate Path Capital LP purchased a new position in International Paper during the fourth quarter worth approximately $102,796,000. 81.95% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CAO Holly G. Goughnour sold 7,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.85, for a total value of $336,375.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 31,525 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,413,896.25. This represents a 19.22% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.35% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently weighed in on IP shares. Bank of America started coverage on shares of International Paper in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. They set a "neutral" rating for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on International Paper in a research report on Thursday, March 20th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $59.00 target price on the stock. Citigroup assumed coverage on shares of International Paper in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. They set a "buy" rating and a $60.00 target price on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company reaffirmed an "underweight" rating and set a $40.00 target price (down previously from $45.00) on shares of International Paper in a research note on Friday, May 9th. Finally, StockNews.com cut shares of International Paper from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Monday, May 5th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, International Paper presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $54.21.

International Paper Trading Up 0.0%

International Paper stock traded up $0.02 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $50.16. The stock had a trading volume of 583,052 shares, compared to its average volume of 8,008,377. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $48.72 and its 200-day simple moving average is $53.42. International Paper has a one year low of $40.63 and a one year high of $60.36. The stock has a market cap of $26.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.95, a P/E/G ratio of 0.39 and a beta of 1.03. The company has a quick ratio of 1.08, a current ratio of 1.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66.

International Paper (NYSE:IP - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 30th. The basic materials company reported $0.23 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.35 by ($0.12). The company had revenue of $5.90 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.38 billion. International Paper had a return on equity of 4.75% and a net margin of 2.99%. International Paper's revenue was up 27.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.17 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts predict that International Paper will post 2.77 EPS for the current fiscal year.

International Paper Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 23rd will be issued a $0.4625 dividend. This represents a $1.85 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.69%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 23rd. International Paper's payout ratio is currently 158.12%.

International Paper Profile

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.