Zacks Research Brokers Decrease Earnings Estimates for IP

Key Points

• Zacks Research cut its Q3 2026 EPS estimate for International Paper to $0.56 (from $0.57) and kept a Hold rating, while updating forward estimates including FY2027 at $2.97 and FY2028 at $3.31.
• Several major brokers (Stifel, Wells Fargo, RBC, UBS, Deutsche Bank) have reduced price targets and the majority of analyst EPS revisions were downward, though MarketBeat still shows a consensus rating of Moderate Buy with a $45.48 price target.
• International Paper recently missed expectations with Q4 EPS of -$0.08 versus $0.28 expected despite revenue rising 53% year‑over‑year to $6.01 billion, and insiders including CEO Andrew Silvernail have made notable share purchases (50,000 shares).

International Paper Company (NYSE:IP - Free Report) - Equities researchers at Zacks Research cut their Q3 2026 EPS estimates for shares of International Paper in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday, April 22nd. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the basic materials company will post earnings of $0.56 per share for the quarter, down from their prior forecast of $0.57. Zacks Research currently has a "Hold" rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for International Paper's current full-year earnings is $1.67 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for International Paper's Q2 2027 earnings at $0.62 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $0.78 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $2.97 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $3.31 EPS.

International Paper (NYSE:IP - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The basic materials company reported ($0.08) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.28 by ($0.36). International Paper had a negative net margin of 14.12% and a negative return on equity of 0.35%. The company had revenue of $6.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.90 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned ($0.02) EPS. The firm's revenue was up 53.1% on a year-over-year basis.

Other research analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their target price on shares of International Paper from $51.80 to $50.70 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on shares of International Paper from $40.00 to $38.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, March 20th. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their target price on shares of International Paper from $54.00 to $48.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 16th. UBS Group decreased their price target on shares of International Paper from $44.00 to $40.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft assumed coverage on shares of 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 analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $45.48.

International Paper Stock Up 0.6%

International Paper stock opened at $33.53 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. International Paper has a 12-month low of $32.92 and a 12-month high of $56.13. The firm's fifty day moving average is $38.84 and its 200 day moving average is $40.59. The company has a market capitalization of $17.75 billion, a PE ratio of -5.00 and a beta of 1.14.

Institutional Trading of International Paper

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. McIlrath & Eck LLC grew its stake in shares of International Paper by 452.6% in the 4th quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC now owns 641 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 525 shares in the last quarter. MV Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of International Paper in the 4th quarter worth $25,000. DV Equities LLC bought a new stake in shares of International Paper in the 4th quarter worth $29,000. Sound Income Strategies LLC grew its stake in shares of International Paper by 94.0% in the 4th quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 710 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 344 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Summit Securities Group LLC grew its stake in shares of International Paper by 115.4% in the 4th quarter. Summit Securities Group LLC now owns 784 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 5,875 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 81.95% of the company's stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other International Paper news, CEO Andrew K. Silvernail purchased 50,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, January 30th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $39.98 per share, for a total transaction of $1,999,000.00. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer owned 50,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,999,000. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Anders Gustafsson purchased 13,217 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 12th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $37.83 per share, with a total value of $499,999.11. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 26,092 shares in the company, valued at $987,060.36. This represents a 102.66% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders have acquired a total of 76,092 shares of company stock valued at $2,999,064 in the last 90 days. 0.21% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Trending Headlines about International Paper

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks raised a few quarter estimates: Q4 2026 EPS to $0.62 (from $0.61), Q4 2027 EPS to $0.85 (from $0.80) and Q1 2026 to $0.24 (from $0.23). These modest upgrades could support near‑term seasonal optimism in results. MarketBeat IP
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks retained a "Hold" rating and published a range of updated estimates (consensus full‑year reference still shown as $1.67 EPS in the report). The rating suggests analysts see limited near‑term conviction to move to Buy or Sell. MarketBeat IP
• Negative Sentiment: Majority of revisions were downward: cuts to Q2 2026 (to $0.30 from $0.38), Q1 2027 (to $0.72), Q2 2027 (to $0.62 from $0.86), Q3 2026 (to $0.56), Q3 2027 (to $0.78 from $0.85), FY2027 (to $2.97 from $3.24) and FY2028 (to $3.31 from $3.49). Those reductions lower forward EPS expectations and could pressure valuation and investor sentiment if sustained. MarketBeat IP

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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