International Paper (NYSE:IP) Issues Quarterly Earnings Results, Misses Expectations By $0.05 EPS

International Paper (NYSE:IP) released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday. The basic materials company reported ($0.02) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.03 by ($0.05), Zacks reports. International Paper had a net margin of 2.25% and a return on equity of 6.49%.

International Paper Stock Performance

NYSE:IP traded down $0.74 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $57.24. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 7,264,079 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,413,601. International Paper has a 12-month low of $32.70 and a 12-month high of $60.36. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $56.17 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $51.51. The company has a current ratio of 1.53, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. The stock has a market cap of $19.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 48.92 and a beta of 1.03.

International Paper Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 24th will be given a $0.4625 dividend. This represents a $1.85 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.23%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 24th. International Paper’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 158.12%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Kathryn D. Sullivan sold 600 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $56.19, for a total transaction of $33,714.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 37,745 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,120,891.55. The trade was a 1.56 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.55% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

IP has been the topic of a number of research reports. Truist Financial boosted their target price on shares of International Paper from $61.00 to $65.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, January 6th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their target price on shares of International Paper from $56.00 to $64.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, November 1st. Finally, BNP Paribas cut shares of International Paper from a “neutral” rating to an “underperform” rating and set a $48.20 target price on the stock. in a report on Wednesday, November 13th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $51.99.

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.