International Paper stock gains as BofA Securities raises price target to 46 dollars

Published on 09/15/2026 at 11:56 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS

International Paper stock trades around 34 dollars on the New York Stock Exchange as of September 14, 2026, after a fresh upgrade from BofA Securities. The new 46-dollar target and a Moderate Buy consensus underline renewed confidence in the company’s earnings outlook.

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International Paper Company (ISIN US4601461035) stock is trading near 34 dollars per share on the New York Stock Exchange as of September 14, 2026, placing the shares in the lower third of a documented 12-month range between 29.26 and 50.25 dollars. According to Alliance News on September 11, 2026, Bank of America’s BofA Securities unit upgraded International Paper to Buy from Neutral and lifted its price target from 34 dollars to 46 dollars, turning more positive on the containerboard cycle heading into late 2026 and providing a clear catalyst for the stock.Ad-hoc For investors, the key point is that the new 46-dollar target now stands well above the prevailing share price around mid-September 2026 and signals that analysts see meaningful upside potential if earnings and industry pricing develop as expected.

BofA Securities upgrade sets the tone

As Alliance News reported on September 11, 2026, BofA Securities raised International Paper’s rating to Buy and increased its price target by 35 percent, moving from 34 dollars to 46 dollars.Ad-hoc The upgrade came at a time when International Paper stock was trading near 34.29 dollars on September 11, 2026, so the new target of 46 dollars implied upside of roughly one-third compared with the prevailing market level and marked a clear shift in the broker’s stance on the shares.Ad-hoc The call was framed around a more constructive view of the containerboard and packaging cycle into late 2026, with Bank of America highlighting that a recovering demand backdrop and more disciplined capacity management could support higher industry pricing and, in turn, International Paper’s earnings potential.

The numerical gap between the share price and the new target helps quantify this shift. With the stock around 34.41 dollars on September 14, 2026, the 46-dollar target represents an increase of 11.59 dollars from the current level, or just over 33 percent upside, while also sitting well below the 12-month high of 50.25 dollars mentioned in broker commentary.Ad-hoc For shareholders, that means the stock still trades materially beneath both its recent peak and the revised target, leaving room for a catch-up move if the cyclical thesis plays out.

Analyst consensus and earnings expectations

Beyond the BofA Securities call, the broader analyst community maintains a moderately constructive view on International Paper. According to MarketBeat on September 14, 2026, the stock carries a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of 49.13 dollars, which stands higher than the 46-dollar target set by BofA Securities and implies even greater upside from the current trading level around 34.41 dollars.Ad-hoc On that basis, the consensus target suggests potential appreciation of roughly 14.72 dollars, or about 43 percent, compared with the mid-September share price and underlines renewed confidence in the company’s earnings trajectory and its positioning within the North American packaging sector.

While detailed quarterly figures are not highlighted in the latest upgrade coverage, analysts point to International Paper’s ability to generate solid cash flows and to benefit from operating leverage when containerboard prices firm. According to commentary summarized by Alliance News on September 11, 2026, BofA Securities expects a recovering containerboard environment to support margin improvement and earnings growth into late 2026 and 2027, assuming demand remains resilient and capacity additions stay disciplined.Ad-hoc The key risk highlighted in the same context is that a weaker macroeconomic backdrop or aggressive price competition could cap the upside, particularly if end-market demand in e-commerce, industrial packaging or consumer goods softens more than expected.

Stock valuation and trading range perspective

From a trading perspective, International Paper’s current valuation reflects the fact that the shares remain closer to the documented 12-month low of 29.26 dollars than to the high of 50.25 dollars as of mid-September 2026.Ad-hoc With the price around 34.41 dollars as of September 14, 2026, the shares trade roughly 5.15 dollars, or about 17.6 percent, above the 12-month low, but sit 15.84 dollars, or around 31.5 percent, below the 12-month high, illustrating that the stock has yet to retrace much of its earlier decline despite the recent analyst upgrade.

According to the same broker overview, International Paper’s market capitalization at the mid-September price level translates into a multi-billion-dollar valuation in United States dollars, reflecting its status as one of the larger global producers of fiber-based packaging and pulp-based products.Ad-hoc For investors, the combination of a still-depressed share price relative to the 12-month high, a fresh Buy rating from BofA Securities and a consensus target above both the current price and the broker’s new objective suggests that sentiment has shifted more positively, even if the market has not yet fully priced in the improved outlook.

International Paper stock price as of mid-September 2026

International Paper stock most recently changed hands at 34.41 dollars on the New York Stock Exchange as of September 14, 2026, with the price level used in recent analyst commentary as the reference point for upside calculations.Ad-hoc At that level, the shares trade in United States dollars on their primary venue and remain well below both the 46-dollar target from BofA Securities and the 49.13-dollar consensus target cited by MarketBeat, offering a clear numerical framework for how much potential upside analysts currently see if their assumptions about the packaging cycle are borne out.