International Paper (NYSE:IP) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

International Paper (NYSE:IP) has earned a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the ten ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, two have assigned a hold recommendation, six have given a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 1-year target price among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $51.99.

Several research firms recently weighed in on IP. Truist Financial raised their price objective on International Paper from $61.00 to $65.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, January 6th. BNP Paribas cut International Paper from a “neutral” rating to an “underperform” rating and set a $48.20 price target for the company. in a research report on Wednesday, November 13th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price target on International Paper from $56.00 to $64.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, November 1st.

Insider Activity at International Paper

In related news, Director Kathryn D. Sullivan sold 600 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $53.50, for a total transaction of $32,100.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 38,345 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,051,457.50. This trade represents a 1.54 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In the last quarter, insiders sold 1,800 shares of company stock valued at $100,848. 0.55% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On International Paper

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Brooklyn Investment Group acquired a new position in International Paper in the third quarter valued at $25,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in International Paper in the 3rd quarter valued at about $28,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new position in shares of International Paper during the 3rd quarter valued at about $28,000. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its holdings in shares of International Paper by 313.3% during the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 591 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 448 shares during the period. Finally, City State Bank boosted its position in shares of International Paper by 107.7% in the fourth quarter. City State Bank now owns 675 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 350 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.95% of the company’s stock.

International Paper Price Performance

Shares of NYSE IP opened at $58.55 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 1.53. International Paper has a one year low of $32.70 and a one year high of $60.36. The firm has a market capitalization of $20.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 50.04 and a beta of 1.03. The company’s fifty day moving average is $56.05 and its two-hundred day moving average is $50.95.

International Paper (NYSE:IP) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 31st. The basic materials company reported $0.44 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.24 by $0.20. International Paper had a net margin of 2.25% and a return on equity of 6.49%. The firm had revenue of $4.69 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.70 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.64 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 1.6% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts forecast that International Paper will post 1.18 EPS for the current fiscal 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.