Research Analysts Offer Predictions for IP Q3 Earnings

Key Points

• Zacks Research cut its Q3 2026 EPS estimate for International Paper to $0.51 from $0.53 and kept a Strong Sell rating on the stock.
• Recent analyst views are mixed: while some firms raised or maintained buy ratings, others lowered price targets, and MarketBeat now shows a Moderate Buy consensus with an average price target of $43.73.
• International Paper’s latest quarter missed earnings expectations, reporting $0.15 EPS versus $0.18 expected, even though revenue rose 13.4% year over year to $5.97 billion.

International Paper Company (NYSE:IP - Free Report) - Analysts at Zacks Research dropped their Q3 2026 EPS estimates for shares of International Paper in a report issued on Thursday, May 14th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the basic materials company will post earnings of $0.51 per share for the quarter, down from their previous estimate of $0.53. Zacks Research has a "Strong Sell" rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for International Paper's current full-year earnings is $1.43 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for International Paper's Q3 2027 earnings at $0.73 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $2.69 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at $0.78 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $3.23 EPS.

Other analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Jefferies Financial Group upped 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. UBS Group dropped their price target on shares of International Paper from $40.00 to $32.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Citigroup dropped their price target on shares of International Paper from $44.00 to $36.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their price target on shares of International Paper from $48.00 to $45.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered shares of International Paper from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "sell (d)" rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $43.73.

International Paper Stock Performance

NYSE IP opened at $30.21 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 1.21, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $35.20 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $39.06. International Paper has a 1 year low of $29.45 and a 1 year high of $56.13. The firm has a market capitalization of $16.00 billion, a P/E ratio of -4.75 and a beta of 0.93.

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 firm had revenue of $5.97 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.02 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.17 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 13.4% compared to the same quarter last year.

International Paper Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 12th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 22nd will be given a $0.4625 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 22nd. This represents a $1.85 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.1%. International Paper's dividend payout ratio is presently -29.09%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Scott Tozier acquired 10,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 1st. The shares were bought at an average cost of $31.30 per share, with a total value of $313,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 10,025 shares of the company's stock, valued at $313,782.50. This trade represents a 40,000.00% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Anders Gustafsson acquired 13,217 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 12th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $37.83 per share, for a total transaction 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 trade represents a 102.66% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Insiders bought 36,092 shares of company stock worth $1,313,064 over the last three months. Insiders own 0.21% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On International Paper

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company grew its stake in shares of International Paper by 9.4% in the first quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 778,301 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $27,785,000 after acquiring an additional 66,666 shares in the last quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP grew its stake in shares of International Paper by 102.4% in the first quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 751,025 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $26,812,000 after acquiring an additional 379,913 shares in the last quarter. Lombard Odier Asset Management Switzerland SA grew its stake in shares of International Paper by 13.2% in the first quarter. Lombard Odier Asset Management Switzerland SA now owns 120,056 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $4,286,000 after acquiring an additional 14,000 shares in the last quarter. Waverly Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of International Paper by 6.5% in the first quarter. Waverly Advisors LLC now owns 15,549 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $555,000 after acquiring an additional 951 shares in the last quarter. Finally, TCM Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of International Paper by 8.2% in the first quarter. TCM Advisors LLC now owns 17,200 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $614,000 after acquiring an additional 1,300 shares in the last quarter. 81.95% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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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