International Paper Company
IP · NYSE
Analyst ratings
strong_buy · 8 ratings
| Date | Firm | Action | Rating | Price target |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 17, 2026 | RBC Capital | Maintains | Outperform | $48.00 |
| July 15, 2026 | Truist Securities | Maintains | Buy | $46.00 |
| July 9, 2026 | Citigroup | Maintains | Buy | $43.00 |
| July 9, 2026 | JP Morgan | Maintains | Neutral | $51.00 |
| July 9, 2026 | Wells Fargo | Maintains | Overweight | $42.00 |
| May 4, 2026 | UBS | Maintains | Neutral | $32.00 |
| May 4, 2026 | Citigroup | Maintains | Buy | $36.00 |
| May 4, 2026 | Wells Fargo | Upgrades | Overweight | $39.00 |
| May 1, 2026 | JP Morgan | Maintains | Neutral | $43.00 |
| May 1, 2026 | RBC Capital | Maintains | Outperform | $45.00 |
| April 15, 2026 | Truist Securities | Maintains | Buy | $44.00 |
| April 14, 2026 | Citigroup | Maintains | Buy | $44.00 |
| April 10, 2026 | UBS | Maintains | Neutral | $40.00 |
| March 20, 2026 | Wells Fargo | Maintains | Equal-Weight | $38.00 |
| February 2, 2026 | Citigroup | Maintains | Buy | $47.00 |
| February 2, 2026 | UBS | Downgrades | Neutral | $44.00 |
| January 30, 2026 | RBC Capital | Maintains | Outperform | $54.00 |
| January 30, 2026 | Wells Fargo | Upgrades | Equal-Weight | $40.00 |
| January 12, 2026 | UBS | Maintains | Buy | $51.00 |
| January 6, 2026 | Truist Securities | Maintains | Buy | $50.00 |
| December 22, 2025 | Argus Research | Maintains | Buy | $50.00 |
| December 5, 2025 | JP Morgan | Maintains | Neutral | $46.00 |
| November 3, 2025 | Citigroup | Maintains | Buy | $46.00 |
| October 31, 2025 | Wells Fargo | Maintains | Underweight | $36.00 |
| October 31, 2025 | JP Morgan | Maintains | Neutral | $48.00 |
| October 31, 2025 | RBC Capital | Maintains | Outperform | $57.00 |
| October 13, 2025 | Truist Securities | Maintains | Buy | $53.00 |
| October 7, 2025 | Wells Fargo | Maintains | Underweight | $44.00 |
| October 6, 2025 | UBS | Maintains | Buy | $55.00 |
| August 28, 2025 | B of A Securities | Upgrades | Buy | $57.00 |
Earnings recovery credibility and EPS trajectory
Full-year EPS is forecast at approximately $1.38, representing a sharp recovery from a net loss the prior year. Firms like JPMorgan, Citigroup, and Truist have all raised price targets significantly, with Royal Bank of Canada lifting its target to $48 and maintaining an outperform rating, reflecting strong conviction in the earnings rebound.
International Paper recently missed earnings expectations, posting $0.15 EPS versus the $0.18 consensus, while revenue also fell slightly short at $5.97 billion. Zacks Research maintained a Strong Sell rating and Bank of America downgraded the stock from buy to neutral, casting doubt on the reliability of the projected recovery timeline.
Analyst conviction and price target divergence
The overall analyst consensus sits at Moderate Buy, with an average price target of $44.31. JPMorgan raised its target to $51, Truist to $46, and Royal Bank of Canada to $48, with eight analysts assigning buy ratings — suggesting broad institutional confidence in meaningful upside from current trading levels.
Despite the broadly constructive consensus, UBS cut its price target sharply from $40 to $32 with a neutral rating, Weiss Ratings downgraded the stock to a sell (d), and Zacks Research maintained a Strong Sell. This wide dispersion in targets — ranging from $32 to $57 — reflects deep disagreement about the company's near-term prospects.
Demand recovery and revenue growth sustainability
Seaport Research Partners upgraded International Paper from neutral to buy, and Wells Fargo raised its price target to $42 with an overweight rating, citing confidence in a meaningful demand recovery. Citigroup similarly upgraded its price objective to $43 with a buy rating, pointing to improved profitability driven by a rebound in packaging demand.
Revenue came in slightly below estimates at $5.97 billion, and the company has a recent track record of earnings misses that raises questions about whether the demand environment is recovering as strongly as optimists suggest. Zacks Research revised Q3 2026 EPS estimates downward, signaling continued uncertainty around the pace and durability of any recovery.