International Paper Company (IP)
International Paper is a global giant that turns wood fibre into the cardboard boxes and paper products that keep our online shopping and businesses moving.
Is International Paper Company a good stock for a UK beginner?
The honest version: There's no rating here and nothing for sale. In its favour: A massive, established player in a vital industry. Worth weighing: Currently reporting negative profit margins.
Is this normal for this company?
Each figure against the range this same company has produced recently. Neither end of a range is the good end.
Profit as a share of sales, from the company's own quarterly statements. The range covers the 5 quarters we hold, and the figure shown is its most recent one.
How these ranges are built
Every number here is the company's own reported figure, not a comparison with other companies. The ranges come from this company's own results and its share price. Where it reports in a different currency from the one its shares trade in, the price-to-earnings range is left out rather than mixing the two.
What does International Paper Company do?
This company is essentially the backbone of the packaging industry, making the boxes that arrive on your doorstep and the paper used in offices. Selling these essential materials to other businesses is the engine, so their success is tied to how much stuff people are buying and shipping. Keep an eye on how they handle costs and debt, since recent financial headwinds have weighed on their profitability.
On our factor screen it looks strongest on value and income, and weakest on growth.
- ✓Pays a dividend - about 4.5% a year
- !Revenue slipped about 2% over the year
- Value screens high
- Quality screens low
- Growth screens low
Does International Paper Company pay a dividend?
Yes - International Paper Company currently pays a dividend of about 4.5% a year, which is £45 a year for every £1,000 invested (the yearly payout as a share of the price). A dividend is a slice of profit handed to shareholders; the yield moves as the price moves, and a company can cut or stop it. An ISA doesn't shelter the US tax on this one →
What do the numbers say about International Paper Company's dividend?
There's no rating here, and we don't judge whether the dividend will continue - that would be advice. Here are the figures income investors usually look at, and what each one means, so you can weigh it up yourself.
Figures are from the latest available data and can be distorted by one-off results. Past payments don't predict future ones, and a dividend can be cut at any time. This lays out the numbers to help you understand them - it is not a view on what will happen.
Most recent ex-dividend date: 22 May 2026. To receive a dividend you must already own the shares before the ex-dividend date; become a holder on or after it and the previous owner keeps that payment. Why the price usually falls that morning →
Does International Paper Company have more cash or more debt?
It holds about $726.00M in cash against about $9.90B of debt - so it has net debt of about $9.18B. Debt is not automatically a problem - it funds growth - but it has to be serviced and repaid, which matters more when profits wobble.
From the latest reported balance sheet. Cash and debt levels change, and some borrowing is normal - this is context, not a judgment.
What do International Paper Company's numbers mean?
How has it performed?
Growth of £1,000, the worst fall, and year by year
Over about 2 years to 2026-09-11. This is the share price only - reinvesting the dividends would add to it. And it's the USD return - as a UK investor your actual £ return also moves with the exchange rate. Past performance is not a guide to the future, and it could just as easily have fallen.
How much has International Paper Company actually fallen?
Over the last 2 years of daily prices, International Paper Company fell as much as −51% from a high to a later low. Falls like this are normal when you own a share.
Past falls are not a forecast - it can fall further, or recover.
How has it done year by year?
Calendar-year total return - the share price with dividends reinvested - from adjusted closing prices. The current year is only part-complete. Past returns are not a guide to the future.
A closer look at the numbers
Ownership, earnings history, where the money goes, and the outlook range
Does the share price tell you if it's cheap or expensive?
Based on beta - how much the price swings versus the whole market. Bumpier isn't bad; it just means a rougher ride, which matters more the sooner you might need the money.
Prices move on results, news and the mood of the whole market - no single headline explains a day, and a quiet week is usually just noise, not a signal.
How much money does International Paper Company make?
Revenue and profit by quarter, and how much of each sale turns into profit.
When does International Paper Company report earnings, and how did recent quarters go?
International Paper Company is next scheduled to report on about 2026-10-28 - dates can move, and we don't predict results; this just tells you when to look.
‘Beat’ and ‘missed’ are against what analysts expected, not whether the business is doing well.
| Reported | Expected EPS: The earnings per share analysts expected for the quarter - the average of their forecasts. 'Beating' or 'missing' is measured against this number. | Actual EPS | vs expected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-30 | $-0.04 | $0.04 | Beat +205% |
| 2026-04-30 | $0.14 | $0.15 | Beat +5% |
| 2026-01-29 | $0.25 | $-0.08 | Missed -132% |
| 2025-10-30 | $0.59 | $-0.43 | Missed -173% |
| 2025-07-31 | $0.41 | $0.20 | Missed -51% |
| 2025-04-30 | $0.37 | $0.23 | Missed -38% |
Across the last 6 quarters here, International Paper Company came in ahead of what analysts expected 2 times. One quarter is noise, not a trend.
See who else reports over the next two weeks →
Where these figures come from
Each quarter a company reports its results against a consensus of analyst forecasts. The figures here are reported versus expected earnings per share from published results; the expectation is that analyst consensus, not our view. Report dates are estimates and can move.
What are the scenarios for International Paper Company?
An illustrative range for the year ahead — not a prediction or a price target.
What are the pros, cons and common questions?
The case each way, and the questions people ask
A shift toward sustainable, plastic-free packaging drives long-term growth.
Digitalisation permanently reducing the demand for paper products.
What are the pros and cons of International Paper Company?
A balance check, not a score or verdict.
- A massive, established player in a vital industry
- Provides essential products for global e-commerce
- Offers a significant dividend yield: The yearly dividend as a percentage of the share price - roughly the income you'd earn from dividends alone. for income-focused observers
- Currently reporting negative profit margins
- Highly sensitive to the ups and downs of the global economy
- Significant share price decline over the past year
- Rising costs for energy and raw materials
- The long-term decline of traditional paper usage
- High debt levels during periods of economic stress
The write-up's own warning lights — if these start happening, the case above changes.
- A return to consistent, positive net profit margins
- A major shift in the company's debt-to-equity ratio
Common questions about International Paper Company
Does International Paper Company pay a dividend?
Yes - International Paper Company currently pays a dividend of about 4.5% a year. Dividends are a share of profit paid to holders; the yield moves with the price and payouts can be cut.
When does International Paper Company report earnings next?
International Paper Company is next scheduled to report results on about 2026-10-28. Report dates are estimates and can move; this is a diary note for when to look, not a forecast of the outcome.
More in Consumer Cyclical
Carnival Corporation Ltd.
Darden Restaurants, Inc.
Wynn Resorts, Limited
McDonald's Corporation
Williams-Sonoma, Inc.
Amcor plc
Airbnb, Inc.
D.R. Horton, Inc.Built from public filings & market prices, checked for an education-only tone, and never a price target. How we make these →
This plain-English summary was auto-generated on 2026-08-02 from public data and checked for an education-only, no-advice tone (the figures above carry their own, usually fresher, 'as of' date). It's information, never a recommendation.