International Paper Company (NYSE:IP) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” from Brokerages

International Paper Company (NYSE:IP) has received an average recommendation of “Hold” from the fourteen ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, two have given a hold recommendation and nine have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $50.4364.

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on IP. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of International Paper in a research report on Monday. Bank of America raised International Paper from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their target price for the company from $55.00 to $57.00 in a research note on Thursday, August 28th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $57.80 price target on shares of International Paper and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, October 17th. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their price objective on International Paper from $61.00 to $57.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 31st. Finally, Seaport Res Ptn lowered shares of International Paper from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, October 6th.

International Paper Stock Performance

NYSE IP opened at $37.54 on Wednesday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $41.71 and a 200-day moving average price of $46.01. The firm has a market cap of $19.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -14.38, a PEG ratio of 1.21 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a current ratio of 1.31 and a quick ratio of 1.04. International Paper has a 1 year low of $35.56 and a 1 year high of $60.15.

International Paper (NYSE:IP) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The basic materials company reported ($0.43) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.53 by ($0.96). The business had revenue of $6.22 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.76 billion. International Paper had a negative return on equity of 0.16% and a negative net margin of 5.45%.The business’s revenue was up 56.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.33 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts predict that International Paper will post 2.77 EPS for the current fiscal year.

International Paper Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 16th. Investors of record on Friday, November 14th will be given a dividend of $0.4625 per share. This represents a $1.85 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.9%. International Paper’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -70.88%.

Insider Activity at International Paper

In other news, SVP Joseph R. Saab sold 9,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $45.53, for a total transaction of $409,770.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 27,673 shares in the company, valued at $1,259,951.69. This trade represents a 24.54% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.55% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of International Paper

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of IP. Rise Advisors LLC raised its position in International Paper by 281.3% in the first quarter. Rise Advisors LLC now owns 469 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 346 shares during the period. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT purchased a new stake in shares of International Paper in the 1st quarter worth $34,000. AlphaQuest LLC raised its holdings in International Paper by 63,400.0% in the 2nd quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 635 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 634 shares during the period. Migdal Insurance & Financial Holdings Ltd. purchased a new position in International Paper during the second quarter valued at $33,000. Finally, Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC bought a new stake in International Paper during the second quarter valued at about $35,000. 81.95% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

International Paper Company Profile

International Paper Company produces and sells renewable fiber-based packaging and pulp products in North America, Latin America, Europe, and North Africa. It operates through two segments, Industrial Packaging and Global Cellulose Fibers. The company offers linerboard, medium, whitetop, recycled linerboard, recycled medium and saturating kraft; and pulp for a range of applications, such as diapers, towel and tissue products, feminine care, incontinence, and other personal care products, as well as specialty pulps for use in textiles, construction materials, paints, coatings, and others.