Laurion Capital Management LP Invests $1.11 Million in International Paper (NYSE:IP)

Laurion Capital Management LP bought a new stake in shares of International Paper (NYSE:IP - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 20,576 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $1,107,000.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Sierra Ocean LLC purchased a new stake in International Paper during the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Centricity Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of International Paper in the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Picton Mahoney Asset Management boosted its stake in shares of International Paper by 67.0% in the 4th quarter. Picton Mahoney Asset Management now owns 536 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 215 shares during the last quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of International Paper by 90.2% in the 4th quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 622 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 295 shares during the last quarter. Finally, City State Bank boosted its stake in shares of International Paper by 107.7% in the 4th quarter. City State Bank now owns 675 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 350 shares during the last quarter. 81.95% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

IP has been the topic of a number of research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on International Paper in a research note on Thursday, March 20th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $59.00 price target on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $64.00 price target on shares of International Paper in a report on Wednesday, March 26th. Bank of America began coverage on International Paper in a report on Thursday, February 13th. They issued a "neutral" rating on the stock. Citigroup initiated coverage on International Paper in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $60.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reiterated an "underweight" rating and issued a $40.00 price target (down previously from $45.00) on shares of International Paper in a research report on Friday, May 9th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, International Paper presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $54.21.

International Paper Trading Up 1.1%

Shares of NYSE:IP traded up $0.56 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $50.13. 3,226,458 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 8,066,242. International Paper has a 1 year low of $40.39 and a 1 year high of $60.36. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $48.70 and a 200-day moving average price of $53.38. The firm has a market capitalization of $26.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.39 and a beta of 1.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 1.49 and a quick ratio of 1.08.

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

International Paper Announces Dividend

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CAO Holly G. Goughnour sold 7,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.85, for a total transaction 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 ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.35% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

About International Paper

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.