Stephens Inc. AR Decreases Position in International Paper (NYSE:IP)

Stephens Inc. AR lowered its stake in shares of International Paper (NYSE:IP) by 1.6% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 45,534 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 748 shares during the period. Stephens Inc. AR’s holdings in International Paper were worth $2,451,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Brooklyn Investment Group purchased a new position in shares of International Paper during the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in International Paper during the 3rd quarter worth $28,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new position in International Paper during the 3rd quarter worth $28,000. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its stake in International Paper by 313.3% in the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 591 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 448 shares during the period. Finally, City State Bank raised its holdings 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 valued at $36,000 after buying an additional 350 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.95% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at International Paper

In related news, Director Kathryn D. Sullivan sold 600 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $58.39, for a total value of $35,034.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 37,145 shares in the company, valued at $2,168,896.55. The trade was a 1.59 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.55% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on IP shares. BNP Paribas lowered International Paper from a “neutral” rating to an “underperform” rating and set a $48.20 price target on the stock. in a report on Wednesday, November 13th. Truist Financial reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $64.00 target price (down from $65.00) on shares of International Paper in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and set a $64.00 price target on shares of International Paper in a research note on Friday, January 31st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $51.88.

International Paper Trading Up 1.7 %

Shares of IP stock opened at $55.76 on Wednesday. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $55.61 and its 200 day moving average price is $52.09. The firm has a market capitalization of $19.37 billion, a PE ratio of 35.52 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 1.49 and a quick ratio of 1.08. International Paper has a 1-year low of $33.16 and a 1-year high of $60.36.

International Paper (NYSE:IP) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The basic materials company reported ($0.02) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.03 by ($0.05). International Paper had a return on equity of 4.75% and a net margin of 2.99%. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that International Paper will post 2.89 EPS for the current fiscal year.

International Paper Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 24th will be given a dividend of $0.4625 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 24th. This represents a $1.85 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.32%. International Paper’s payout ratio is 117.83%.

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.