Artemis Investment Management LLP Trims Holdings in International Paper Company $IP

Key Points

• Artemis Investment Management cut its stake in International Paper by 55.4% in Q4, selling 285,972 shares and leaving it with 229,846 shares valued at about $9.05 million.
• International Paper missed Q1 estimates (EPS $0.15 vs. $0.18, revenue $5.97B vs. ~$6.02B), trimmed near‑term outlook, but bolstered liquidity by selling its Global Cellulose Fibers business for ~ $1.1B and is guiding to $3.2–$3.5B adjusted EBITDA and $300–$500M free cash flow for 2026.
• Company insiders have been buying shares recently — Director Anders Gustafsson bought 13,217 shares at $37.83 and Director Scott Tozier bought 10,000 shares at $31.30 — while analysts have moved to a consensus "Hold" rating with a $44.31 average price target.

Artemis Investment Management LLP lowered its holdings in shares of International Paper Company (NYSE:IP - Free Report) by 55.4% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 229,846 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 285,972 shares during the period. Artemis Investment Management LLP's holdings in International Paper were worth $9,054,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of IP. AE Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in shares of International Paper by 8.5% in the third quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC now owns 332,310 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $15,419,000 after purchasing an additional 26,146 shares in the last quarter. Caprock Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of International Paper during the third quarter valued at about $2,340,000. Icon Advisers Inc. Co. acquired a new stake in International Paper in the third quarter worth about $4,853,000. Advisors Preferred LLC acquired a new stake in International Paper in the third quarter worth about $1,181,000. Finally, Barclays PLC grew its position in International Paper by 12.4% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 2,348,177 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $108,955,000 after buying an additional 259,371 shares in the last quarter. 81.95% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have commented on IP. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on shares of International Paper from $47.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on shares of International Paper from $40.00 to $38.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, March 20th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of International Paper from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "sell (d)" rating in a research note on Monday, April 27th. UBS Group cut their target price on International Paper from $44.00 to $40.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft initiated coverage on International Paper in a research note on Wednesday, April 1st. They set a "hold" rating and a $38.00 price target for the company. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $44.31.

International Paper Stock Up 4.7%

NYSE IP opened at $31.85 on Friday. International Paper Company has a 12 month low of $29.45 and a 12 month high of $56.13. The company has a market capitalization of $16.86 billion, a P/E ratio of -5.01 and a beta of 0.94. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $37.25 and its 200 day simple moving average is $40.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 1.21 and a quick ratio of 1.02.

International Paper (NYSE:IP - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The basic materials company reported $0.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.18 by ($0.03). International Paper had a negative return on equity of 0.49% and a negative net margin of 13.42%.The business had revenue of $5.97 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.02 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.17 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 13.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts expect that International Paper Company will post 1.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Key Stories Impacting International Paper

Here are the key news stories impacting International Paper this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Director Scott Tozier bought 10,000 shares at about $31.30, a direct insider purchase that can be viewed as a vote of confidence by management. SEC Form 4
• Positive Sentiment: Balance‑sheet and cash flow actions: IP received ~$1.1B net proceeds from the sale of its Global Cellulose Fibers business, used ~$660M to pay down debt, generated $611M of operating cash and reported $94M FCF for Q1 — these moves materially improve liquidity and lower leverage. Press Release
• Positive Sentiment: Management’s 2026 targets: IP is guiding to $3.2B–$3.5B of adjusted EBITDA for 2026 and is targeting $300M–$500M of free cash flow, providing a framework for recovery if cost pressures ease. SA: 2026 targets
• Neutral Sentiment: Company filed an 8‑K and held its Q1 call; the transcript and slide deck are available for investors to assess management commentary on costs and the EMEA separation. TipRanks 8‑K
• Neutral Sentiment: Unusually large options flow was observed (big increase in both call and put activity), signaling heightened short‑term speculative interest and volatility. (No single authoritative story; flagged in market activity notes.)
• Negative Sentiment: Q1 missed expectations on EPS ($0.15 vs. $0.18 consensus) and revenue ($5.97B vs. ~$6.02B), and margins were pressured — a direct near‑term negative for sentiment. Q1 results
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts cut forecasts and price targets after Q1 and guidance; JPMorgan trimmed its PT to $43 and moved to neutral, and several outlets report analysts “slashing” forecasts — these actions weigh on near‑term upside. Benzinga: analyst reactions
• Negative Sentiment: Management trimmed its 2026 adjusted EBITDA outlook vs. prior expectations and cited higher costs and macro pressures — the primary driver of the recent negative revisions in sentiment. Zacks: lowered outlook

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Anders Gustafsson purchased 13,217 shares of International Paper stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 12th. The stock was bought at an average price of $37.83 per share, with a total value of $499,999.11. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 26,092 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $987,060.36. This represents a 102.66% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Scott Tozier purchased 10,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 1st. The shares were bought at an average price of $31.30 per share, with a total value of $313,000.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 10,025 shares in the company, valued at $313,782.50. This represents a 40,000.00% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders acquired 36,092 shares of company stock worth $1,313,064. Insiders own 0.21% of the company's stock.

About International Paper

International Paper is a global producer of renewable fiber-based products, focused primarily on pulp, paper, and packaging. The company manufactures containerboard and corrugated packaging used for shipping and retail display, as well as a range of specialty papers and pulp products that serve industrial, consumer goods, and e-commerce customers. Its product portfolio is oriented toward large-scale packaging solutions, tissue and paper grades, and raw pulp for a variety of manufacturing uses.

Founded in 1898, International Paper is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, and is one of the largest and longest-established companies in the forest products sector.

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