Zacks Research Issues Positive Forecast for IP Earnings

Key Points

• Zacks Research raised its Q1 2026 EPS estimate for International Paper to $0.24 (from $0.23) while maintaining a "Hold" rating and projecting FY2026 EPS of $1.73 versus a consensus of $1.67.
• Shares opened at $33.25 and were down about 6.2%, trading well below the consensus target of $45.48; the company recently missed quarterly EPS (‑$0.08 vs. $0.28 expected) despite a revenue beat and a negative net margin.
• Insiders bought roughly 76,092 shares (~$3.0M) last quarter, including CEO Andrew Silvernail's $2.0M purchase of 50,000 shares, indicating notable insider accumulation.

International Paper Company (NYSE:IP - Free Report) - Equities research analysts at Zacks Research increased their Q1 2026 earnings per share estimates for shares of International Paper in a research note issued on Wednesday, April 22nd. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the basic materials company will post earnings of $0.24 per share for the quarter, up from their prior forecast of $0.23. Zacks Research 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 2026 earnings at $0.30 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $0.62 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $1.73 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $0.72 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $0.85 EPS and Q1 2028 earnings at $0.79 EPS.

IP has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price objective on International Paper from $47.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their price objective on International Paper from $54.00 to $48.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 16th. 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. BNP Paribas Exane reduced their price objective on International Paper from $44.00 to $42.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 25th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on 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. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $45.48.

International Paper Trading Down 6.2%

Shares of IP stock opened at $33.25 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $17.61 billion, a P/E ratio of -4.96 and a beta of 1.14. International Paper has a twelve month low of $32.92 and a twelve month high of $56.13. The company has a quick ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $39.15 and its 200 day simple moving average is $40.64.

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

Insider Transactions at International Paper

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

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in IP. McIlrath & Eck LLC raised its stake in International Paper by 452.6% during the 4th quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC now owns 641 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 525 shares during the period. MV Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in International Paper during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. DV Equities LLC acquired a new position in International Paper during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Sound Income Strategies LLC raised its stake in International Paper by 94.0% during the 4th quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 710 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 344 shares during the period. Finally, Summit Securities Group LLC raised its stake in International Paper by 115.4% during the 4th quarter. Summit Securities Group LLC now owns 784 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 5,875 shares during the period. 81.95% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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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