International Paper (NYSE:IP) Shares Sold by Blair William & Co. IL

Blair William & Co. IL lessened its holdings in International Paper (NYSE:IP) by 1.2% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 71,350 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 873 shares during the period. Blair William & Co. IL’s holdings in International Paper were worth $3,840,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. SPC Financial Inc. grew its stake in International Paper by 1.4% during the 4th quarter. SPC Financial Inc. now owns 14,100 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $759,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. AlphaMark Advisors LLC boosted its position in International Paper by 5.7% in the fourth quarter. AlphaMark Advisors LLC now owns 3,814 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $205,000 after buying an additional 204 shares during the last quarter. Inspire Advisors LLC increased its holdings in International Paper by 1.7% in the 4th quarter. Inspire Advisors LLC now owns 12,358 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $665,000 after buying an additional 204 shares during the period. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB raised its position in International Paper by 14.7% during the 4th quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 1,601 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $86,000 after buying an additional 205 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC lifted its stake in International Paper by 1.4% during the 4th quarter. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC now owns 15,244 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $820,000 after acquiring an additional 212 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.95% of the company’s stock.

International Paper Price Performance

International Paper stock opened at $53.40 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $28.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.01, a P/E/G ratio of 0.39 and a beta of 1.02. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $54.79 and its 200 day moving average price is $53.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 1.08 and a current ratio of 1.49. International Paper has a 1 year low of $33.16 and a 1 year high of $60.36.

International Paper (NYSE:IP) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The basic materials company reported ($0.02) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.03 by ($0.05). International Paper had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 4.75%. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that International Paper will post 2.77 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

International Paper Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 24th were issued a dividend of $0.4625 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 24th. This represents a $1.85 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.46%. International Paper’s payout ratio is currently 117.83%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages recently issued reports on IP. Citigroup began coverage on shares of International Paper in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. They set a “buy” rating and a $60.00 target price for the company. StockNews.com cut International Paper from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday. Royal Bank of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $64.00 target price on shares of International Paper in a research note on Wednesday, March 26th. Bank of America assumed coverage on International Paper in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. They set a “neutral” rating for the company. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on International Paper in a research report on Thursday, March 20th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $59.00 price objective on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $55.32.

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.