Investors Purchase High Volume of Call Options on International Paper (NYSE:IP)

International Paper (NYSE:IP) was the recipient of unusually large options trading on Thursday. Investors purchased 22,378 call options on the stock. This is an increase of approximately 369% compared to the typical volume of 4,770 call options.

Insider Transactions at International Paper

In related news, SVP James P. Jr. Royalty sold 5,800 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $34.75, for a total transaction of $201,550.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 69,488 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,414,708. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. In the last quarter, insiders sold 8,800 shares of company stock valued at $310,438. Corporate insiders own 0.55% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Manchester Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in International Paper during the third quarter worth about $25,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp grew its position in International Paper by 208.3% during the fourth quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 703 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 475 shares during the period. CVA Family Office LLC acquired a new position in International Paper during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. MCF Advisors LLC grew its position in International Paper by 1,094.7% during the first quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 681 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 624 shares during the period. Finally, Resurgent Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new position in International Paper during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. 81.95% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have commented on IP. Truist Financial reissued a “buy” rating and set a $40.00 price target on shares of International Paper in a report on Wednesday. Bank of America raised International Paper from an “underperform” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their price target for the company from $37.00 to $42.00 in a report on Monday, March 4th. StockNews.com cut International Paper from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, January 14th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on International Paper from $39.00 to $35.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 2nd. Finally, Citigroup raised International Paper from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $36.00 to $46.00 in a report on Wednesday, March 20th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, International Paper currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $37.13.

International Paper Stock Up 0.6 %

International Paper stock opened at $35.26 on Friday. International Paper has a fifty-two week low of $29.00 and a fifty-two week high of $41.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65, a quick ratio of 1.19 and a current ratio of 1.67. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $36.73 and a 200 day moving average price of $35.83. The company has a market capitalization of $12.25 billion, a PE ratio of 43.00 and a beta of 0.99.

International Paper (NYSE:IP) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 1st. The basic materials company reported $0.41 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.34 by $0.07. International Paper had a net margin of 1.52% and a return on equity of 8.87%. The firm had revenue of $4.60 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.67 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.87 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was down 10.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts expect that International Paper will post 1.88 earnings per share for the current year.

About International Paper

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.