International Paper Company (NYSE:IP) Receives $48.75 Consensus Price Target from Analysts

Shares of International Paper Company (NYSE:IP) have been assigned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the fourteen brokerages that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, three have issued a hold recommendation and ten have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $49.1308.

A number of analysts have commented on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price target on International Paper from $48.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Weiss Ratings raised International Paper from a “sell (d)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a report on Friday, August 21st. Zacks Research upgraded International Paper from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Seaport Research Partners reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $46.00 target price on shares of International Paper in a report on Wednesday, August 12th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered International Paper from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 25th.

International Paper Trading Up 0.2%

Shares of International Paper stock opened at $34.41 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $39.21 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $36.91. The firm has a market capitalization of $18.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -5.28, a PEG ratio of 4.32 and a beta of 0.93. International Paper has a 12-month low of $29.26 and a 12-month high of $50.25. The company has a current ratio of 1.10, a quick ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57.

International Paper (NYSE:IP) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The basic materials company reported $0.04 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.04) by $0.08. The business had revenue of $6 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.19 billion. International Paper had a negative net margin of 14.20% and a negative return on equity of 1.09%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 11.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.20 earnings per share. Analysts predict that International Paper will post 1.33 EPS for the current year.

International Paper Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be paid a dividend of $0.4625 per share. This represents a $1.85 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.4%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. International Paper’s payout ratio is presently -28.37%.

Insider Buying and Selling at International Paper

In other news, CAO Holly G. Goughnour sold 3,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $41.96, for a total value of $146,860.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 34,248 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,437,046.08. This represents a 9.27% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, VP William Hamic sold 24,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $41.20, for a total transaction of $1,009,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president owned 106,952 shares in the company, valued at $4,406,422.40. The trade was a 18.64% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.21% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On International Paper

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Man Group plc acquired a new position in shares of International Paper in the second quarter worth about $24,640,000. DNB Asset Management AS raised its position in International Paper by 144.2% during the fourth quarter. DNB Asset Management AS now owns 258,920 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $10,199,000 after acquiring an additional 152,907 shares during the period. D.A. Davidson & CO. raised its position in International Paper by 29.6% during the first quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 137,856 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $4,921,000 after acquiring an additional 31,518 shares during the period. Bellwether Advisors LLC purchased a new position in International Paper during the first quarter valued at $2,615,000. Finally, Deutsche Bank AG acquired a new stake in shares of International Paper in the second quarter valued at about $77,604,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.95% of the company’s stock.

International Paper Company Profile

International Paper Company (NYSE: IP) is a global producer of sustainable packaging and paper-based products. The company manufactures containerboard, corrugated packaging, and other fiber-based packaging solutions used to transport and protect goods across a range of industries. Its offerings also include absorbent pulp and cellulose fibers used in products such as diapers, hygiene items, and other consumer and industrial applications.

Founded in 1898, International Paper has grown through the development and operation of paper mills, packaging facilities, and related manufacturing assets.