On Wednesday morning, International Paper Co (IP ) released its fourth quarter financial results, reporting significantly lower profits.
IP's Earnings in Brief
- IP’s profit fell to $134 million, or 32 cents per share, from $436 million, or 98 cents per share, last year.
- Operating earnings were 53 cents per share, compared to 81 cents per share, last year. Analysts expected to see EPS of 53 cents.
- Revenue rose to $5.943 billion from $5.848 billion in the year prior. Analysts expected to see revenue of $5.83 billion.
CEO Commentary
Mark Sutton, IP’s Chairman and CEO, commented: “As we enter 2015, a strengthening North American economy is helping to offset a global environment that remains challenged. With our focus on execution, IP expects to deliver another year of earnings growth and strong free cash flow.”
IP's Dividend
IP will pay its next 40-cent dividend on March 16. The stock will go ex-dividend on February 11.
Stock Performance
Shares of IP were mostly flat during pre-market trading Wednesday.
The Bottom Line
International Paper (IP ) is not recommended at this time, holding a Dividend.com DARS™ Rating of 3.3 out of 5 stars.
Be sure to visit our complete recommended list of the Best Dividend Stocks, as well as a detailed explanation of our ratings system here.
