Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio Acquires Shares of 149,577 International Paper Company $IP

Key Points

• Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio acquired 149,577 shares of International Paper in the second quarter, valued at approximately $5.7 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds now own 81.95% of the company.
• Analyst sentiment is generally positive, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $48.75; several firms recently raised their targets, including JPMorgan to $61.
• International Paper reported quarterly EPS of $0.04, topping estimates, but revenue fell 11.3% year over year to $6 billion. The company also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.4625 per share, representing a 5.1% annualized yield.

Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio bought a new stake in International Paper Company (NYSE:IP - Free Report) in the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 149,577 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $5,699,000.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in IP. Redwood Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in International Paper in the 2nd quarter valued at about $939,000. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of International Paper in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Corient Private Wealth LP purchased a new position in shares of International Paper in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $2,269,000. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new position in shares of International Paper in the second quarter valued at approximately $142,802,000. Finally, Freestone Grove Partners LP acquired a new position in shares of International Paper in the second quarter valued at approximately $35,855,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.95% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages recently weighed in on IP. Zacks Research raised International Paper from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Truist Financial restated a "buy" rating and set a $49.00 price objective (up from $46.00) on shares of International Paper in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their target price 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. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of International Paper from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and lifted their target price for the company from $51.00 to $61.00 in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of International Paper from $42.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, July 31st. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, International Paper has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $48.75.

International Paper Trading Down 0.6%

Shares of International Paper stock opened at $36.25 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 1.10 and a quick ratio of 0.84. International Paper Company has a 1 year low of $29.26 and a 1 year high of $50.25. The company has a market capitalization of $19.20 billion, a P/E ratio of -5.56, a P/E/G ratio of 4.53 and a beta of 0.93. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $39.59 and a 200 day moving average price of $37.49.

International Paper (NYSE:IP - Get Free Report) last announced 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 firm had revenue of $6 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.19 billion. International Paper had a negative return on equity of 1.09% and a negative net margin of 14.20%.International Paper's quarterly revenue was down 11.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.20 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that International Paper Company will post 1.34 EPS for the current fiscal year.

International Paper Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Investors of record on Friday, August 14th will be paid a dividend of $0.4625 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. This represents a $1.85 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.1%. International Paper's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -28.37%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other International Paper news, VP William Thomas Hamic sold 24,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $41.20, for a total value of $1,009,400.00. Following the transaction, the vice president directly owned 106,952 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,406,422.40. This represents a 18.64% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CAO Holly G. Goughnour sold 3,500 shares of the firm'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 sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 34,248 shares in the company, valued at $1,437,046.08. This represents a 9.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.21% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Trending Headlines about International Paper

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

• Positive Sentiment: Long-term earnings outlook improved: Zacks raised its FY2027 EPS forecast to $2.81 from $2.75 and FY2028 EPS forecast to $3.52 from $3.47. Estimates for Q1 2027, Q3 2027, Q4 2027, Q1 2028 and Q2 2028 were also increased, signaling expectations for stronger profitability beyond the current year.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts remain cautious: Despite the longer-term estimate increases, Zacks maintained a “Hold” rating. The current full-year consensus remains $1.34 EPS, while the company’s recent results showed revenue declining 11.3% year over year and a negative net margin.
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry comparison offers limited direction: A recent report compares International Paper with Mayr-Melnhof Karton, but the comparison itself does not represent a new company catalyst or change to IP’s fundamentals. Head to Head Comparison: Mayr-Melnhof Karton and International Paper
• Negative Sentiment: Near-term and FY2026 estimates were reduced: Zacks cut Q3 2026 EPS to $0.32 from $0.34, Q4 2026 EPS to $0.78 from $0.79 and FY2026 EPS to $1.29 from $1.32. These downgrades imply softer near-term earnings and are the clearest reason the stock may be under pressure today.
• Neutral Sentiment: Forest-restoration grants are not a direct earnings catalyst: Nearly $5 million in grants will support habitat restoration in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley. The announcement may be relevant to sustainability considerations, but it does not identify a material financial benefit or new contract for International Paper. NFWF and Partners Announce $5 Million in Grants

International Paper Company Profile

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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