Investors Purchase High Volume of International Paper Call Options (NYSE:IP)

Key Points

• Unusually heavy options activity occurred: investors bought 24,482 call options (a 629% increase versus average) alongside elevated put buying, suggesting speculative bullish bets and hedged volatility strategies.
• International Paper missed Q1 EPS ( $0.15 vs. $0.19 consensus) and issued a downbeat Q2 outlook, triggering an ~8.6% intraday drop to $30.70.
• Insiders (CEO Andrew Silvernail and director Anders Gustafsson) recently purchased a combined ~63,217 shares, even as analysts trimmed price targets and the consensus rating sits at Hold with a $45.48 target.

International Paper Company (NYSE:IP - Get Free Report) was the target of some unusual options trading on Thursday. Stock investors purchased 24,482 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of 629% compared to the typical volume of 3,360 call options.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages recently weighed in on IP. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on shares of International Paper from $48.00 to $46.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 2nd. Zacks Research downgraded International Paper from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a report on Thursday, April 23rd. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price objective on International Paper from $51.80 to $50.70 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Citigroup lowered their target price on International Paper from $47.00 to $44.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their target price on International Paper from $54.00 to $48.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 16th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $45.48.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Anders Gustafsson acquired 13,217 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 12th. The stock was acquired 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 $987,060.36. This trade represents a 102.66% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Andrew K. Silvernail bought 50,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, January 30th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $39.98 per share, for a total transaction of $1,999,000.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer owned 50,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,999,000. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Insiders purchased 76,092 shares of company stock worth $2,999,064 in the last 90 days. 0.21% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd acquired a new position in International Paper during the first quarter worth $249,000. Intech Investment Management LLC increased its position in shares of International Paper by 100.5% during the first quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 32,025 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $1,709,000 after acquiring an additional 16,055 shares in the last quarter. Cresset Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of International Paper by 20.8% during the second quarter. Cresset Asset Management LLC now owns 17,345 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $812,000 after acquiring an additional 2,981 shares in the last quarter. Jump Financial LLC raised its holdings in shares of International Paper by 280.9% in the 2nd quarter. Jump Financial LLC now owns 38,092 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $1,784,000 after acquiring an additional 28,092 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cerity Partners LLC lifted its position in International Paper by 8.0% in the 2nd quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 33,749 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $1,580,000 after acquiring an additional 2,493 shares in the last quarter. 81.95% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

International Paper Trading Down 8.6%

Shares of IP stock traded down $2.89 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $30.70. The company's stock had a trading volume of 9,665,279 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,156,792. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $37.58 and its 200-day simple moving average is $40.19. International Paper has a 52 week low of $29.45 and a 52 week high of $56.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a current ratio of 1.28. The company has a market cap of $16.25 billion, a PE ratio of -4.56 and a beta of 1.14.

International Paper (NYSE:IP - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The basic materials company reported $0.15 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.19 by ($0.04). International Paper had a negative net margin of 14.12% and a negative return on equity of 0.35%. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.17 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 13.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts expect that International Paper will post 1.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Key International Paper News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Company generated operating cash and used sale proceeds to cut leverage: IP received $1.1B from the sale of its Global Cellulose Fibers business, paid down $660M of debt, had cash from operations of $611M and reported free cash flow of $94M — balance-sheet repair is a constructive development for credit profile and long‑term value. International Paper Reports First Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Q1 revenue growth was healthy (+13.4% y/y) and the company swung to a small GAAP profit, showing underlying top-line resilience amid a cyclical market. International Paper Swings to Profit, Issues Downbeat Outlook
• Neutral Sentiment: Corporate action / investor outreach: IP filed an 8‑K and set a call to discuss Q1 results and its planned EMEA separation — investors will be watching separation details and timing for any value-unlocking implications. International Paper Files 8-K and Sets Call
• Neutral Sentiment: Unusually large options flow on the same day: heavy call buying (24,482 calls, +629% vs. avg) and elevated put buying (5,714 puts, +70%). This mixed options activity can reflect both speculative bullish bets and hedged/volatility strategies rather than a one‑directional signal.
• Negative Sentiment: EPS missed expectations: Q1 EPS $0.15 vs. consensus $0.19 — an earnings miss that directly pressured sentiment. Q1 Results and Call
• Negative Sentiment: Downbeat Q2 outlook and higher cost commentary: Management set Q2 adjusted EBITDA guidance of $520–$570M and narrowed full‑year adjusted EBITDA to $3.20–$3.50B while flagging higher input costs — guidance prompted analyst downgrades and is the main driver of near‑term downside pressure. International Paper plunges after mixed Q1, downbeat Q2 guidance
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst reaction: at least one downgrade and notes warning of downside risk to the reduced outlook, amplifying selling pressure. Reduced Outlook Still Has Downside Risk (Downgrade)

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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