B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. Holding AG Takes $5.76 Million Position in International Paper (NYSE:IP)

B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. Holding AG purchased a new position in International Paper (NYSE:IP) during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 117,959 shares of the basic materials company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,762,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in IP. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD increased its stake in International Paper by 35.1% in the 1st quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 21,135,702 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $824,716,000 after acquiring an additional 5,492,035 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its position in shares of International Paper by 133.7% in the second quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 14,214,754 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $613,367,000 after purchasing an additional 8,132,332 shares during the last quarter. Diamond Hill Capital Management Inc. raised its stake in International Paper by 125.1% in the third quarter. Diamond Hill Capital Management Inc. now owns 4,235,846 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $206,921,000 after purchasing an additional 2,354,341 shares in the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA bought a new stake in International Paper during the second quarter valued at approximately $119,012,000. Finally, Samlyn Capital LLC purchased a new position in International Paper in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $88,966,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.95% of the company’s stock.

International Paper Trading Up 0.2 %

Shares of IP opened at $57.84 on Wednesday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $50.78 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $46.96. International Paper has a twelve month low of $31.76 and a twelve month high of $59.52. The stock has a market capitalization of $20.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 49.44 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62.

International Paper (NYSE:IP) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, October 31st. The basic materials company reported $0.44 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.24 by $0.20. The company had revenue of $4.69 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.70 billion. International Paper had a return on equity of 6.49% and a net margin of 2.25%. International Paper’s quarterly revenue was up 1.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.64 earnings per share. On average, research analysts anticipate that International Paper will post 1.29 EPS for the current year.

International Paper Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.4625 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 15th. This represents a $1.85 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.20%. International Paper’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 158.12%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, SVP Clay R. Ellis sold 9,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.83, for a total transaction of $439,470.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 49,832 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,433,296.56. This trade represents a 15.30 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Kathryn D. Sullivan sold 600 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated 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 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 disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 19,440 shares of company stock worth $944,540. Company insiders own 0.55% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently weighed in on IP. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price objective on shares of International Paper from $56.00 to $64.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, November 1st. Argus raised International Paper from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $52.00 price target for the company in a research note on Wednesday, August 14th. Truist Financial reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $61.00 price objective (up from $57.00) on shares of International Paper in a research report on Friday, November 1st. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on International Paper from $43.00 to $45.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, July 25th. Finally, BNP Paribas lowered International Paper from a “neutral” rating to an “underperform” rating and set a $48.20 target price for the company. in a research note on Wednesday, November 13th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $51.54.

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.