International Paper (NYSE:IP) Given New $36.00 Price Target at Citigroup

International Paper (NYSE:IP) had its price objective lowered by Citigroup from $44.00 to $36.00 in a research note released on Friday morning,MarketScreener reports.

IP has been the topic of several other reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on shares of International Paper from $46.00 to $43.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their price objective on shares of International Paper from $48.00 to $45.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price objective on shares of International Paper from $47.00 to $48.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. UBS Group reduced their price target on shares of International Paper from $44.00 to $40.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 10th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price target on shares of International Paper from $51.80 to $50.70 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, February 9th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $44.31.

International Paper Stock Performance

IP traded up $1.43 during trading on Friday, hitting $31.85. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 13,278,653 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,053,511. The company has a quick ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. International Paper has a one year low of $29.45 and a one year high of $56.13. The firm has a market cap of $16.86 billion, a PE ratio of -4.75 and a beta of 0.94. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $37.25 and its 200-day simple moving average is $40.12.

International Paper (NYSE:IP) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The basic materials company reported $0.15 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.18 by ($0.03). International Paper had a negative return on equity of 0.49% and a negative net margin of 13.42%.The business had revenue of $5.97 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.02 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.17 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 13.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that International Paper will post 1.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other International Paper news, Director Scott Tozier bought 10,000 shares of International Paper stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 1st. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $31.30 per share, for a total transaction of $313,000.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 10,025 shares in the company, valued at approximately $313,782.50. This represents a 40,000.00% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Anders Gustafsson bought 13,217 shares of International Paper stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 12th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $37.83 per share, for a total transaction of $499,999.11. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 26,092 shares in the company, valued at approximately $987,060.36. The trade was a 102.66% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders acquired 36,092 shares of company stock worth $1,313,064. 0.21% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of International Paper

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. McIlrath & Eck LLC increased its holdings 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 buying an additional 525 shares during the last quarter. MV Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of International Paper in the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Sound Income Strategies LLC increased its holdings 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 buying an additional 344 shares during the last quarter. DV Equities LLC bought a new stake in shares of International Paper in the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. Finally, Ascentis Independent Advisors bought a new stake in shares of International Paper in the 1st quarter worth about $28,000. 81.95% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

International Paper News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Director Scott Tozier bought 10,000 shares at about $31.30, a direct insider purchase that can be viewed as a vote of confidence by management. SEC Form 4
• Positive Sentiment: Balance‑sheet and cash flow actions: IP received ~$1.1B net proceeds from the sale of its Global Cellulose Fibers business, used ~$660M to pay down debt, generated $611M of operating cash and reported $94M FCF for Q1 — these moves materially improve liquidity and lower leverage. Press Release
• Positive Sentiment: Management’s 2026 targets: IP is guiding to $3.2B–$3.5B of adjusted EBITDA for 2026 and is targeting $300M–$500M of free cash flow, providing a framework for recovery if cost pressures ease. SA: 2026 targets
• Neutral Sentiment: Company filed an 8‑K and held its Q1 call; the transcript and slide deck are available for investors to assess management commentary on costs and the EMEA separation. TipRanks 8‑K
• Neutral Sentiment: Unusually large options flow was observed (big increase in both call and put activity), signaling heightened short‑term speculative interest and volatility. (No single authoritative story; flagged in market activity notes.)
• Negative Sentiment: Q1 missed expectations on EPS ($0.15 vs. $0.18 consensus) and revenue ($5.97B vs. ~$6.02B), and margins were pressured — a direct near‑term negative for sentiment. Q1 results
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts cut forecasts and price targets after Q1 and guidance; JPMorgan trimmed its PT to $43 and moved to neutral, and several outlets report analysts “slashing” forecasts — these actions weigh on near‑term upside. Benzinga: analyst reactions
• Negative Sentiment: Management trimmed its 2026 adjusted EBITDA outlook vs. prior expectations and cited higher costs and macro pressures — the primary driver of the recent negative revisions in sentiment. Zacks: lowered outlook

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.