International Paper Gets ‘Overweight’ Rating At JPMorgan, New CEO Appointment Seen As A Positive: Retail’s Not Sure Yet

Analysts at JPMorgan initiated coverage of the International Paper Co. (IP) with an ‘Outperform’ rating, underscoring their bullish outlook on the stock.

According to The Fly, JPMorgan set a price target of $59 for International Paper stock, implying an upside of over 12% from Wednesday’s closing price.

This comes ahead of the company’s investor day scheduled for March 25, where new CEO Andy Silvernail is set to field questions about the company’s strategies going forward.

JPMorgan added the stock to its “Positive Catalyst Watch” and expressed confidence in Silvernail’s strategy to significantly improve International Paper’s profitability.

The brokerage is also optimistic about the company integrating the business operations of DS Smith, which International Paper acquired in February in an all-stock deal estimated at $7.2 billion.

The acquisition helped International Paper expand its presence in Europe – DS Smith has operations in more than 30 countries. 

However, to stave off anti-competition concerns, the Memphis-based company said it would divest five of its plants in Europe.

Earlier this month, Citi resumed coverage of International Paper with a ‘Buy’ rating and a $60 price target. Despite the fourth-quarter earnings miss, the brokerage sounded optimistic and said it sees a “significant” earnings improvement potential.

It said the March 25 investor day is a catalyst for the company’s stock.

However, retail sentiment on Stocktwits around the International Paper stock showed caution among investors.

International Paper’s stock has declined more than 2% year-to-date.

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