International Paper (NYSE:IP) Stock Rating Upgraded by Wall Street Zen

International Paper (NYSE:IP) was upgraded by Wall Street Zen from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report issued on Saturday.

A number of other research analysts also recently issued reports on IP. Seaport Research Partners upgraded International Paper from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $39.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Friday, May 1st. UBS Group raised their target price on shares of International Paper from $40.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday. Citigroup raised their target price on shares of International Paper from $43.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d)” rating on shares of International Paper in a report on Friday, July 24th. Finally, Loop Capital set a $61.00 price target on shares of International Paper in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. 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, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $48.75.

International Paper Price Performance

NYSE IP opened at $41.03 on Friday. The business’s fifty day moving average is $36.88 and its 200 day moving average is $38.01. International Paper has a fifty-two week low of $29.26 and a fifty-two week high of $52.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57, a quick ratio of 0.84 and a current ratio of 1.10. The company has a market capitalization of $21.73 billion, a PE ratio of -6.29 and a beta of 0.94.

International Paper (NYSE:IP) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The basic materials company reported $0.04 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.04) by $0.08. International Paper had a negative return on equity of 1.09% and a negative net margin of 14.20%.The business had revenue of $6 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.19 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.20 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 11.3% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that International Paper will post 1.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Trading of International Paper

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. McIlrath & Eck LLC boosted its stake in 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 purchasing an additional 525 shares during the period. MV Capital Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of International Paper in the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Sound Income Strategies LLC lifted its holdings in shares of International Paper by 94.0% in the fourth 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 in the last quarter. DV Equities LLC bought a new position in shares of International Paper during the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Finally, Ascentis Independent Advisors bought a new position in shares of International Paper during the first quarter worth $28,000. Institutional investors own 81.95% of the company’s stock.

International Paper News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Citigroup raised its price target to $48 and assigned a Buy rating, implying approximately 17% potential upside based on the referenced price. The call suggests confidence in containerboard pricing and International Paper’s longer-term recovery prospects. Benzinga analyst price target report
• Positive Sentiment: Second-quarter adjusted EPS was $0.04, beating the consensus estimate of a $0.04 loss. Recent insider activity also showed five open-market purchases and no sales over the past six months, including purchases by the CEO and other executives. These factors may provide some support for investor confidence. International Paper second-quarter results
• Neutral Sentiment: JPMorgan upgraded International Paper’s stock rating, while other recent analyst targets have been mixed. Institutional positioning was also divided, with some large investors adding shares and others making substantial reductions. JPMorgan International Paper rating update
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue totaled $6.00 billion, below roughly $6.2 billion in expectations and down 11.3% year over year. The company reported a $12 million loss from continuing operations, negative free cash flow of $7 million, and reduced profitability expectations. Management projected full-year adjusted EBITDA of $3.20 billion to $3.40 billion and warned that a temporary Pine Hill, Alabama, mill closure will reduce third-quarter EBITDA by about $85 million. Higher maintenance, input and freight costs are adding further pressure. Zacks International Paper earnings analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts cut estimates for second- and third-quarter EPS, reinforcing concerns that maintenance outages, macroeconomic headwinds and weaker profitability could outweigh the quarterly earnings beat. International Paper EPS forecast revision

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.