International Paper (NYSE:IP) Stock Rating Cut to “Sell” at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of International Paper (NYSE:IP) from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report published on Saturday,Wall Street Zen reports.

Several other equities analysts also recently issued reports on IP. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of International Paper from $42.00 to $46.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. UBS Group boosted their target price on International Paper from $40.00 to $47.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, July 31st. Truist Financial reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $49.00 target price (up from $46.00) on shares of International Paper in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Bank of America upgraded International Paper from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $46.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Friday, September 11th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on International Paper from $61.00 to $62.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 23rd. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, International Paper currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $48.75.

International Paper Stock Down 1.7%

Shares of NYSE:IP opened at $31.96 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $38.19 and a 200-day simple moving average of $36.25. International Paper has a twelve month low of $29.26 and a twelve 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. The company has a market capitalization of $16.93 billion, a PE ratio of -4.90, a P/E/G ratio of 4.07 and a beta of 0.93.

International Paper (NYSE:IP) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The basic materials company reported $0.04 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.04) by $0.08. International Paper had a negative net margin of 14.20% and a negative return on equity of 1.09%. The firm had revenue of $6 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.19 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.20 EPS. The company’s revenue was down 11.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts predict that International Paper will post 1.31 EPS for the current fiscal year.

International Paper Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 14th were issued a $0.4625 dividend. This represents a $1.85 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 14th. International Paper’s dividend payout ratio is presently -28.37%.

Insider Activity

In other news, VP William Hamic sold 24,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 7th. The shares were 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 approximately $4,406,422.40. This represents a 18.64% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CAO Holly G. Goughnour sold 3,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $41.96, for a total value of $146,860.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 34,248 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,437,046.08. This represents a 9.27% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.21% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Man Group plc acquired a new stake in shares of International Paper in the 2nd quarter worth $24,640,000. Amundi acquired a new position in shares of International Paper during the second quarter worth about $82,666,000. HighTower Advisors LLC purchased a new position in International Paper during the second quarter worth about $1,603,000. D.A. Davidson & CO. lifted its position in International Paper by 29.6% in the first quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 137,856 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $4,921,000 after purchasing an additional 31,518 shares during the period. Finally, Nykredit A S purchased a new stake in International Paper in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $104,683,000. 81.95% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About International Paper

International Paper (NYSE: IP) is a global producer of sustainable packaging, pulp and paper products. The company manufactures corrugated packaging, containerboard and other fiber-based packaging solutions used to protect, transport and display goods, along with market pulp and specialty paper products.

Founded in 1898, International Paper has developed operations serving customers across North America and Europe. Its activities also include recycling and the recovery of fiber used in paper and packaging production, supporting the company’s focus on renewable and recyclable materials.

International Paper completed its combination with DS Smith in 2025, expanding its geographic reach and packaging capabilities.