Wells Fargo & Company Reiterates $40.00 Price Target for International Paper (NYSE:IP)

International Paper (NYSE:IP) has been assigned a $40.00 target price by investment analysts at Wells Fargo & Company in a report issued on Friday, Marketbeat.com reports. The firm presently has an “equal weight” rating on the basic materials company’s stock. Wells Fargo & Company‘s price objective would suggest a potential upside of 2.41% from the company’s current price.

Several other research analysts have also recently weighed in on the company. Stifel Nicolaus set a $57.80 target price on International Paper and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, October 17th. UBS Group lowered their price objective on International Paper from $53.00 to $51.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on International Paper from $46.00 to $45.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $55.00 price target on International Paper and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, December 18th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane raised shares of International Paper from a “strong sell” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $44.00 price objective for the company in a report on Monday, November 24th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $49.44.

International Paper Trading Down 5.9%

Shares of IP opened at $39.06 on Friday. International Paper has a 52-week low of $35.56 and a 52-week high of $58.11. The stock has a market cap of $20.63 billion, a PE ratio of -14.97, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.48 and a beta of 1.10. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $40.18 and its two-hundred day moving average is $44.17. The company has a quick ratio of 1.04, a current ratio of 1.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52.

International Paper (NYSE:IP) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The basic materials company reported ($0.08) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.28 by ($0.36). International Paper had a negative return on equity of 0.16% and a negative net margin of 5.45%.The business had revenue of $6.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.90 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted ($0.02) earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 53.1% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts forecast that International Paper will post 2.77 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at International Paper

In related news, SVP Clay R. Ellis sold 18,819 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $36.85, for a total transaction of $693,480.15. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.35% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Ares Financial Consulting LLC acquired a new position in International Paper during the 4th quarter worth about $71,000. M&T Bank Corp increased its stake in International Paper by 6.3% during the fourth quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 25,393 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $1,001,000 after purchasing an additional 1,499 shares during the period. State of Michigan Retirement System lifted its position in shares of International Paper by 1.4% during the fourth quarter. State of Michigan Retirement System now owns 144,796 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $5,704,000 after purchasing an additional 2,000 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of International Paper by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 64,357,913 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $2,535,058,000 after purchasing an additional 310,834 shares during the period. Finally, Cherokee Insurance Co grew its holdings in shares of International Paper by 7.4% in the fourth quarter. Cherokee Insurance Co now owns 218,400 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $8,603,000 after purchasing an additional 15,000 shares in the last quarter. 81.95% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about International Paper

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

• Positive Sentiment: Management is pursuing a strategic split to create two focused, regional packaging companies — a North American IP and a separate EMEA packaging company — which could unlock value and allow each business to pursue tailored cost and growth strategies. International Paper to Create Two Independent Public Companies
• Positive Sentiment: Top-line strength: Q4 revenue rose ~53% year‑over‑year and management set 2026 adjusted EBITDA targets ($3.5–$3.7B) and Q1 guidance, supporting the view that core operating cash generation can recover as restructuring and rationalization complete. Full-Year and Fourth Quarter 2025 Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Brokerage consensus remains cautious; Street ratings cluster around “Hold,” reflecting uncertainty about near‑term performance and the path to realizing benefits from the split. Consensus Rating of “Hold”
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst previews and coverage note mixed signals heading into/after the print — some focus on operational improvement, others on restructuring/headwind visibility. Preview: International Paper’s Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Q4 earnings missed expectations: adjusted EPS was a loss and the company reported a wider loss from continuing operations after taking a $2.47B pre‑tax non‑cash goodwill impairment and other non‑cash/one‑time charges, which drove a disappointing headline EPS and damaged near‑term reported profitability. Q4 Results and Impairment Details
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction was negative: investors trimmed positions after the mixed results and the split announcement — concerns include execution risk of creating two public companies, legacy integration issues from past M&A (DS Smith assets), and near‑term cash/earnings volatility. WSJ: Splitting in Two; Wider Quarterly Loss
• Negative Sentiment: Underlying financials show strain: negative net margin/ROE for the period, significant restructuring/accelerated depreciation charges, and full‑year free cash flow was slightly negative — all of which add near‑term financial stress until cost actions and the split realize benefits. Zacks: Earnings Miss, Sales Beat

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.