Natixis Advisors LLC Grows Stock Position in International Paper Company $IP

Natixis Advisors LLC lifted its stake in International Paper Company (NYSE:IP) by 37.1% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 520,932 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after buying an additional 140,874 shares during the period. Natixis Advisors LLC’s holdings in International Paper were worth $20,520,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. New Mexico Educational Retirement Board increased its holdings in shares of International Paper by 2.1% in the fourth quarter. New Mexico Educational Retirement Board now owns 24,302 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $957,000 after buying an additional 500 shares during the period. Florida Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of International Paper in the fourth quarter worth about $217,000. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of International Paper by 6.7% in the fourth quarter. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 179,451 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $7,069,000 after buying an additional 11,315 shares during the period. MUFG Securities EMEA plc increased its holdings in shares of International Paper by 114.4% in the fourth quarter. MUFG Securities EMEA plc now owns 21,670 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $854,000 after buying an additional 11,564 shares during the period. Finally, Forsta AP Fonden increased its holdings in shares of International Paper by 9.7% in the fourth quarter. Forsta AP Fonden now owns 135,950 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $5,355,000 after buying an additional 12,000 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.95% of the company’s stock.

International Paper Stock Down 0.7%

Shares of NYSE:IP opened at $33.66 on Friday. International Paper Company has a 1 year low of $29.26 and a 1 year high of $56.13. The company has a market cap of $17.82 billion, a PE ratio of -5.29 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 1.21 and a quick ratio of 0.94. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $33.76 and its 200 day moving average is $38.37.

International Paper (NYSE:IP) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The basic materials company reported $0.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.18 by ($0.03). International Paper had a negative net margin of 13.42% and a negative return on equity of 0.49%. The business had revenue of $5.97 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.02 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.17 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 13.4% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that International Paper Company will post 1.38 EPS for the current year.

International Paper Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 12th. Investors of record on Friday, May 22nd will be issued a dividend of $0.4625 per share. This represents a $1.85 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.5%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 22nd. International Paper’s payout ratio is currently -29.09%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently commented on the company. Zacks Research downgraded International Paper from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Thursday, April 23rd. Citigroup decreased their price objective on International Paper from $44.00 to $36.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 1st. Weiss Ratings downgraded International Paper from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “sell (d)” rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Truist Financial reduced their price target on International Paper from $48.00 to $44.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on International Paper from $46.00 to $43.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 1st. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $43.73.

Insider Transactions at International Paper

In other news, Director Anders Gustafsson acquired 13,217 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 12th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $37.83 per share, with a total value of $499,999.11. Following the transaction, the director owned 26,092 shares in the company, valued at $987,060.36. The trade was a 102.66% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Scott Tozier acquired 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, May 1st. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $31.30 per share, for a total transaction of $313,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 10,025 shares in the company, valued at approximately $313,782.50. This represents a 40,000.00% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders have purchased 36,092 shares of company stock worth $1,313,064. 0.21% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.