International Paper Target of Unusually Large Options Trading (NYSE:IP)

International Paper Company (NYSE:IP) was the target of unusually large options trading on Tuesday. Traders bought 16,246 put options on the company. This represents an increase of approximately 341% compared to the typical volume of 3,687 put options.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other International Paper news, Director Scott Tozier purchased 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, May 1st. The shares were purchased at an average price 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 in the company, valued at $313,782.50. This represents a 40,000.00% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.21% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of International Paper

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Capital International Investors raised its stake in International Paper by 29.4% during the fourth quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 63,413,335 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $2,498,013,000 after acquiring an additional 14,422,616 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. grew its holdings in shares of International Paper by 81.6% during the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 14,832,952 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $584,270,000 after purchasing an additional 6,663,986 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of International Paper during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $250,093,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its position in International Paper by 66.2% during the 1st quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 13,601,299 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $485,566,000 after purchasing an additional 5,417,274 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Atlas FRM LLC increased its position in International Paper by 56.2% during the 4th quarter. Atlas FRM LLC now owns 5,000,000 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $196,950,000 after purchasing an additional 1,800,000 shares in the last quarter. 81.95% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

International Paper Price Performance

Shares of International Paper stock traded up $0.46 on Thursday, reaching $43.10. 3,295,496 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 6,778,407. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a current ratio of 1.21. The firm has a market cap of $22.82 billion, a PE ratio of -6.76 and a beta of 0.94. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $36.44 and its 200-day moving average is $38.02. International Paper has a one year low of $29.26 and a one year high of $52.28.

International Paper (NYSE:IP) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The basic materials company reported $0.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.04) by $0.08. International Paper had a negative net margin of 13.42% and a negative return on equity of 0.49%. The business had revenue of $6 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.20 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.20 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 11.3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts anticipate that International Paper will post 1.4 EPS for the current fiscal year.

International Paper Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be paid a $0.4625 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. This represents a $1.85 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.3%. International Paper’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -29.09%.

International Paper News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: International Paper reported second-quarter adjusted EPS of $0.04, versus analysts’ expectation of a $0.04 loss. Adjusted EBITDA from continuing operations was $587 million, while operating cash flow reached $526 million. International Paper Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Management projected third-quarter adjusted EBITDA of $780 million to $830 million and maintained a full-year target of $3.20 billion to $3.40 billion. The outlook suggests substantial sequential improvement, although the Pine Hill, Alabama mill closure is expected to reduce third-quarter EBITDA by approximately $85 million. International Paper Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan upgraded International Paper, citing an improving U.S. linerboard pricing cycle. Better pricing could support margins and earnings as the company works through operating challenges. International Paper raised at JP Morgan on improving US linerboard pricing cycle
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks Research increased its FY2028 EPS estimate to $3.35 from $3.25, but retained a “Hold” rating, indicating longer-term earnings expectations improved without a change in overall recommendation.
• Negative Sentiment: Second-quarter net sales were $6.00 billion, below the $6.20 billion consensus and down 11.3% year over year. The company also reported a $12 million loss from continuing operations and negative free cash flow of $7 million. International Paper Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results
• Negative Sentiment: An analyst reduced the third-quarter EPS estimate, reflecting continued caution around near-term profitability and the impact of the temporary mill closure. Q3 EPS Estimate for International Paper Cut by Analyst

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have commented on IP. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d)” rating on shares of International Paper in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft started coverage on shares of International Paper in a research note on Wednesday, April 1st. They issued a “hold” rating and a $38.00 price target on the stock. Bank of America cut International Paper from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $41.00 price objective for the company. in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised International Paper from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $51.00 to $61.00 in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of International Paper from $39.00 to $42.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $46.36.

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.