Zacks Research Has Negative Forecast for IP Q3 Earnings

International Paper Company (NYSE:IP) – Equities research analysts at Zacks Research lowered their Q3 2026 EPS estimates for shares of International Paper in a report issued on Tuesday, July 14th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the basic materials company will post earnings per share of $0.51 for the quarter, down from their prior forecast of $0.53. Zacks Research currently has a “Hold” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for International Paper’s current full-year earnings is $1.39 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for International Paper’s FY2028 earnings at $3.25 EPS.

Several other brokerages also recently issued reports on IP. Citigroup upped their price objective on International Paper from $36.00 to $43.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Bank of America downgraded shares of International Paper from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $41.00 target price for the company. in a research note on Tuesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of International Paper from $43.00 to $51.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. UBS Group decreased their price target on shares of International Paper from $40.00 to $32.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of International Paper from $39.00 to $42.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $44.31.

International Paper Stock Performance

International Paper stock opened at $37.53 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a current ratio of 1.21. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $35.04 and a two-hundred day moving average of $38.04. The company has a market capitalization of $19.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -5.90 and a beta of 0.94. International Paper has a fifty-two week low of $29.26 and a fifty-two week high of $56.13.

International Paper (NYSE:IP) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The basic materials company reported $0.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.18 by ($0.03). The company had revenue of $5.97 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.02 billion. International Paper had a negative return on equity of 0.49% and a negative net margin of 13.42%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 13.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.17 earnings per share.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. McIlrath & Eck LLC increased its position in International Paper by 452.6% during the fourth 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 last quarter. MV Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of International Paper in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Ascentis Independent Advisors acquired a new position in shares of International Paper in the 1st quarter valued at $28,000. DV Equities LLC purchased a new stake in shares of International Paper during the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, Sound Income Strategies LLC increased its holdings in shares of International Paper by 94.0% during 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. 81.95% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at International Paper

In other International Paper news, Director Scott Tozier purchased 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, May 1st. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $31.30 per share, with a total value of $313,000.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 10,025 shares in the company, valued at approximately $313,782.50. This represents a 40,000.00% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Insiders own 0.21% of the company’s stock.

International Paper Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Investors of record on Friday, August 14th will be given a dividend of $0.4625 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. This represents a $1.85 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.9%. International Paper’s dividend payout ratio is -29.09%.

International Paper News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo reiterated a Buy rating on International Paper, and Royal Bank of Canada raised its price target from $45 to $48, signaling continued analyst confidence in upside potential. International Paper Co (IP) Gets a Buy from Wells Fargo
• Positive Sentiment: The company announced new independent board appointments, adding Katherine Collins and Lori J. Ryerkerk, which may be viewed as a governance-strengthening move. International Paper Announces Changes to Its Board of Directors
• Positive Sentiment: Truist Financial issued a positive forecast for International Paper, adding to the constructive analyst tone around the stock. Truist Financial Issues Positive Forecast for International Paper (NYSE:IP) Stock Price
• Neutral Sentiment: International Paper’s board changes also included the departure of directors Dr. Kathryn Sullivan and Ahmet, suggesting a broader refresh rather than a clear operational catalyst. International Paper Announces Changes to Its Board of Directors
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks Research trimmed its Q3 2026 EPS estimate to $0.51 from $0.53 and lowered FY2028 EPS slightly to $3.25 from $3.28, but kept a Hold rating, making this more of a mild caution than a major negative. International Paper Company (NYSE:IP) – Free Report
• Negative Sentiment: International Paper said it will close its Carrollton South, Texas packaging facility by the end of Q3 2026, and another report said the company will also close a Texas plant, highlighting ongoing network rationalization that can weigh on sentiment. International Paper to Close Carrollton South, Texas Packaging Facility

About International Paper

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.